Experimental investigation of evaporation heat transfer and pressure drop of ammonia in a 60° chevron plate heat exchanger

Ammonia is an environment friendly natural refrigerant with attractive thermo-physical properties. Experimental heat transfer and pressure drop data are obtained for evaporation of liquid ammonia in a commercial plate heat exchanger for symmetric 60°/60° (hard) chevron angle plates. Experiments were carried out for mass flux ranging from 8.5 to 27 kg m−2 s−1 at saturation temperatures ranging from −25 °C to −2 °C. The heat flux was varied between 21 kW m−2 and 44 kW m−2. The heat transfer coefficient increased with an increase in saturation temperature and mass flux. Furthermore, heat transfer coefficient was observed to increase with exit vapor quality. The friction factor decreased with exit vapor quality and equivalent Reynolds number, while it increased with the fluid temperature. The work reveals that ammonia has far better heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics compared to HFCs. Two phase Nusselt number and friction factor correlations are also proposed.

► Thermo-hydraulic performance of plate heat exchanger with ammonia as refrigerant.
► Experiments performed to study heat transfer & pressure drop for ammonia evaporation.
► Saturation temperature & heat flux varied from −2 to −25 °C and 21–44 kW/m2.
► Empirical correlations for 2-phase Nusselt number and friction factor are proposed.
► Present data compared with evaporation data of ammonia & HFCs in plate heat exchangers.