MASS-TRANSFER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RECTIFIER FOR ABSORPTION—REFRIGERATION CYCLE USING TFE/NMP AS A WORKING FLUID
In order to design a rectifier of an absorption refrigerator or a heat pump, some experiments were performed in this study changing solution flow rate, solution concentration, and vapor flow rate using TFE/NMP as a working fluid. The experimental apparatus was manufactured to investigate the effect of the parameters mentioned above on the mass- transfer characteristics of the rectifier. The experimental apparatus consisted of the tower type rectification test section with a 47-mm inner diameter and 500-mm height, the generator, the condenser, and the solution reservoir. Local temperatures of vapor and solution along working fluid-flow direction were measured every 100 mm using type-K thermocouples to derive the distribution of temperature and concentration. Then experimental data were evaluated using the overall mass-transfer coefficient and the rectification efficiency. Experimental results showed that the overall mass-transfer coefficient became lower as the flow rate of vapor increased and higher as flow rate of solution increased.