Heat transfer analysis and experimental verification of cast heat exchanger

From the viewpoints of environmental conservation and energy efficiency, seawater-source heat pump system (SWHP) to provide district cooling and heating is applied in coastal areas. Based on the system, a heat transfer model was established for cast heat exchanger (CHE) adopted by SWHP systems. The CHE consists of pipes immersed in the seawater and used for transferring heat between the seawater and the heat exchanger pipes of SWHP system. An experimental study was carried out to test the validity of the model. A program was developed in VB language and the effects of inlet temperature, flow rate of the secondary refrigerant and length of CHE on the results were investigated. The results of the numerical simulation are in consistence with the experiments in both winter and summer conditions. As a result, application of SWHP systems with CHE in coastal areas in China is feasible due to the favorable geographical conditions and environment.