Numerical Modeling of the Performance of R22 and R290 in Adiabatic Capillary Tubes Considering Metastable Two-Phase Region——Flow Characteristics and Parametric Analysis of R22 and R290

Characteristics of R22 and its new alternative refrigerant R290 flowing through adiabatic capillary tubes are investigated based on the homogeneous model.Extensive flow variables along tube length such as pressure, temperature, viscosity, velocity, Reynolds number, friction factor and vapor quality etc are compared between the two fluids under the same operating condition. Two cases are considered, namely, either the same tube length or the same mass flow rate as inlet condition. The results show that the mass flow rate in the capillary tube of R290 is 4000 lower than that of R22 due to the differences of physical properties between the two fluids. Further, a parametric analysis is performed and it appears that effects of geometric and thermodynamic parameters on mass flow rate of R290 are weaker than that of R22. When the condensing temperature is increased from 40 ℃ to 50 ℃, the mass flow rate for R22 is increased by 1600, while the increasing rate for R290 is 1300.