Performance evaluations of air-cooled condensers using pure and mixture refrigerants by four-section lumped modelling methods

A simulation model for air-cooled finned-tube condensers is constructed utilising the modified lumped method. Within the model the condenser is divided into four sections, a superheated section, two two-phase regions, and subcooled section. The classification of the two-phase region is based on the experimental results of the heat transfer behaviour during refrigerant inside pipe condensation. The proposed model is validated with test data and used to compare the performances of differently structured condensers using refrigerants R22 and R404A. Some instructions of how to use the model in designing and developing various condenser arrangements are proposed. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.