Heat transfer of binary zeotropic refrigerant mixture in a plate-fin condenser

The present study deals with the condensation of binary zeotropic refrigerant mixtures of HFC134a/HCFC123 in a vertical plate-fin heat exchanger cooled by water. The heat transfer characteristics of condensation and vapor single-phase flow of pure and mixed refrigerants are measured, and empirical correlations for the heat transfer coefficient are proposed. The correlation of water-side heat transfer is also presented. Then, using these correlations and a correlation of vapor mass transfer based on the Chilton-Colburn analogy, a prediction model for condensation of a binary zeotropic mixture in a plate-fin heat exchanger is developed, and it is confirmed that the prediction results agree with experimental ones. The local mass transfer characteristics are also revealed by the present prediction calculation.