Technical Papers 33rd Annual Meeting International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration

Technical Papers
33rd Annual Meeting
International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration
March 2730, 2011
2011 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Show

Caribe Royale
Orlando, Florida
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The success of the 33rd Annual Meeting of the International Institute of Ammonia
Refrigeration is due to the quality of the technical papers in this volume and the labor of its
authors. IIAR expresses its deep appreciation to the authors, reviewers and editors for their
contributions to the ammonia refrigeration industry.
Board of Directors, International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration
ABOUT THIS VOLUME
IIAR Technical Papers are subjected to rigorous technical peer review.
The views expressed in the papers in this volume are those of the authors, not the
International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration. They are not official positions of the
Institute and are not officially endorsed.
International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration

1001 North Fairfax Street
Suite 503
Alexandria, VA 22314
+ 1-703-312-4200 (voice)
+ 1-703-312-0065 (fax)
www.iiar.org
2011 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Show

Caribe Royale
Orlando, Florida

Technical Paper #7
Application of Micro-channel Heat Exchangers

to Compact Ammonia Systems
Mark Tomooka
Mayekawa USA, Inc.
Abstract
Development and application of micro-channel heat exchangers show great application potential in
refrigerated systems. Micro-channel heat exchangers allow for larger heat exchange surfaces in smaller
packages. Tests show that compared to a round tube, plate fin condenser, a micro-channel air cooled
condenser would be 14 times lighter, and would have 20% of the volume, 25% of the charge, and 60%
of the pressure drop on the air-side. Applying micro-channel technology to ammonia refrigeration
systems reduces system charge. Additional benefits are gained by using scroll compressors which
allow for a smaller equipment foot print and lower weight. Energy savings are also realized due to
lower fan horsepower required for the micro-channel condenser.
IIAR 2011 1

Application of Micro-channel Heat Exchangers to Compact Ammonia Systems
Introduction
Rapid technological development and implementation of refrigeration technology

through the 20th century has allowed for the preservation of food, medical supplies
and comfort air conditioning. Unfortunately, this technological boon consumes 15%
of total energy worldwide [1] and created a trail of legislation aimed at limiting the
environmental and health impacts of refrigeration technology.
Increasing awareness of the environmental effects of refrigerants culminated in

the Montreal Protocol (1987) and the call for the phase-out of ozone depleting
refrigerants. A host of replacement refrigerants were developed for use as drop-
in replacements as well as for use in new construction. A decade later the Kyoto
Protocol (1997) indicated that the use of these substitute refrigerants contributed to
the greenhouse effect [2]. Thus, rekindling the refrigerant selection debate.
The regulation of refrigerant usage was not limited to synthetic refrigerants. 1992
saw the promulgation of the Process Safety Management Regulation (PSM) by the
Office of Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) that issued mandatory guidelines
for facilities using ammonia as a refrigerant. Two years later, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) issued their regulatory guidelines called Process Safety
Management. Federal concern for facilities that may contain chemicals used in
terrorist attacks led to the formation of the Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism
Standard (CFATS) in 2007. Several states have also instituted local regulations on
ammonia as well.
The inclusion of refrigerated facilities in Californias Title 24 Regulation (2008),

which is aimed at energy efficiency, signals the beginning of stricter guidelines on
power consumption. Even in states that do not have explicit mandates on power
consumption, energy efficiency is encouraged through the use of incentive programs
for savings by design as well as retrofits.
Technical Paper #7 IIAR 2011 3

2011 IIAR Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Show, Orlando, Florida
The cumulative effect of the environmental and regulatory constraints focused the
priorities of refrigeration on [1]:
1. Improving system efficiency
2. Reducing refrigerant charge
3. Reducing the physical size of the equipment
4. Developing solutions to these problems cost effectively
The ability to respond to these priorities will determine future success.
Ammonia has many favorable characteristics that make it the refrigerant of choice for
high efficiency systems, thus addressing issue 1 above. However, these systems are
typically used for food refrigeration, cold storage warehousing, and process cooling,
but seldom are considered in applications where small charge and equipment size
are a factor [3]. Additionally, since ammonia refrigeration components are typically
industrial grade, cost prevents wider use in commercial and chiller applications.
Micro-channel heat exchangers (MCHX) and hermetic compressors are examples

of technology that can make ammonia refrigeration more attractive in applications
typically dominated by synthetic refrigerants. These technologies retain their high
efficiency characteristics and ally them with creative solutions that have prevented
more widespread use. It also has the advantage of directly responding to the
challenges facing refrigeration as outlined above.
Micro-channel Heat Exchangers
Traditional heat exchangers for use in refrigeration applications are typically round
tube plate fin (RTPF). RTPF heat exchangers have a continuous fin sheet that has
holes which the tubes pass through [4]. The diameter of the tubes is comparatively
large: larger than 1/8 inch (3mm) [1]. MCHX are constructed of flat tubes that
contain rectangular passages of small hydraulic diameter (generally less than 1/8
4 IIAR 2011 Technical Paper #7

inch {3mm})1. Folded louvered fins are used on the air side of the heat exchanger
[Figure 1]. Examples of other microchannel geometry are shown in Figure 2.
MCHX have gained wide acceptance in the mobile and residential air conditioning
sectors, but only recently has attracted the attention for use in larger, stationary
applications [4]. MCHX application in mobile and residential air conditioning along
with much research has shown that MCHX have many benefits in the areas of heat
transfer coefficient and physical size [1]. All of this research was directed toward
synthetic refrigerants and applications. Hrnjak and Litch compared the use of
ammonia MCHX against plate type condensers as a method of charge reduction and
also found favorable heat transfer to volume, mass and surface area ratios [5].
Based on the results of this paper an air-cooled chiller package was tested with the
standard RTPF condenser and compared to the performance of a MCHX.
MCHX Ammonia Chiller Package Testing
Baseline Test Model
The original chiller was an air-cooled, semi-hermetic ammonia compressor [Figure

3], chiller unit with a nominal capacity of 10 tons of refrigeration (TR)(35kW).
A picture of the test unit can be seen in Figure 4. Discharge temperature control
was achieved through liquid injection. A pulse type expansion valve controlled
the discharge temperature at 185F (85C). Oil circulation was achieved through
differential pressure. Miscible oil was used so that similar operating characteristics to
synthetic refrigerants could be attained. Properties of this oil are listed in Table 1.
The condensers used in baseline testing were RTPF type mounted on both sides of
the chiller. Two fans draw air through the condensers and variable frequency drives

control the fan motors. Proper oil circulation is maintained by using the fan motors to
keep a minimum pressure differential between suction and discharge of the system.
The chiller evaporator is a plate-type heat exchanger that uses a 51% ethyl glycol
mixture on the secondary side. Electric heaters supply load to the glycol for testing.
Main liquid supply to the heat exchanger is a pulse type expansion device set to 5K
superheat at the evaporator exit.
Condensers
Important dimensions for the baseline RTPF condensers are given in Table 2.
The MCHX used for the comparison test was designed with the following
methodology:
1. Obtain the same or lower condensing pressure as the original RTPF condenser.
2. The MCHX must have the same face area2 and equal or lower air side pressure
drop at the same face velocity.
3. Significantly reduce the overall size of the condenser
Two micro-channel (MC) condenser configurations were used in the tests

1. A dual stack configuration that has two heat exchangers connected in series on
each side of the unit. This configuration was used to test the effect of condenser
thickness on performance. See Table 3 for dimensions.
2. A single condenser configuration that only has one heat exchanger on each side
of the unit. For these tests, the second condenser was not removed from the unit
for testing. The second slab was removed from the refrigeration loop, but not
physically removed from the system. See Table 4 for dimensions.
Figures 5 and 6 show the general arrangement for the condensers on the test unit.
Table 5 is a summary of the physical comparison of the RTPF and MC condensers.

Test Conditions
Table 6 contains the test conditions for the unit. A range of conditions for
condenser face velocity and evaporative temperature were gathered to determine
the performance difference between the RTPF and MC condenser. For all test runs,
the inlet temperature was controlled at 95F (35C). Suction superheat is consistent
through all tests (5K), and the temperature difference across the evaporator is 5K
as well.
Test Facility
Testing was conducted at Creative Thermal Solutions (CTS) in Urbana, Illinois. The
entire unit was placed in a test cell. The test cell can regulate the face velocity over
the condensers by using a variable speed blower. It also maintains the ambient
air condition at a consistent 95F (35C). Air mixture louvers combine outside air
with recycled discharge air to regulate temperature. In the event that ambient air
conditions are below the desired test parameter, a supplemental heater is used to
warm the inlet air.
A 51% ethylene glycol brine loop was used as a cooling load for the chiller. Heating
load was supplied by a manually controlled electric heater. A PID controller varies
pump speed to maintain a 5K temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of
the evaporator.
Test Results
System Capacity
Figure 7 shows a plot of system capacity versus condenser face velocity. Only the
experiment extremes of 23F (5C) and 4F (20C) are provided for graph

simplicity. The evaporator capacity of the RTPF and MC condenser equipped systems
tracked closely to each other.
System COP
A plot of COP comparison between the single and dual slab MC condensers and the
RTPF condenser is shown in Figure 8. The RTPF condenser out performs the single
slab MC condenser. This is because of a slight mismatch in condenser size between
the RTPF and MC condensers as previously noted in footnote 2. The dual slab MC
condenser does show higher system COP than the RTPF condenser. Examining Table
5 shows that even the dual slab MC condenser has favorable physical characteristics
compared to the RTPF condenser.
Unit Charge
An additional benefit of using a MCHX is the smaller internal volume of the

condenser. This allows the charge to be smaller than that of a RTPF condenser.
The MC condenser has 25% of the refrigerant charge of the RTPF condenser. The
condenser charge is a fractional percentage of the total system charge and therefore
did not significantly reduce the overall system charge. Testing did show that there
were significant savings in system charge by manipulating the amount of charge in
the high pressure receiver. Table 7 shows a summary of the system charge of the unit.
Refrigerant side pressure drop
Figure 9 shows the relationship between the RTPF condenser and the two MC
condensers. Both MCHX have a larger pressure drop than the RTPF. The values
shown in Figure 8 are an average of the pressure drops across the four face velocities.
It is expected that the refrigerant side pressure drop of a MCHX will be larger than
a RTPF. This is an area where optimization of MCHX design can decrease the
refrigerant side pressure drop.

Air side pressure drop
A comparison of air side pressure drop for the different heat exchangers is presented
in Figure 10. The graph shows that the single slab MC condenser has significantly
lower pressure drop than the RTPF. Therefore, it would be possible to reduce fan
horsepower, or the same fans can be used for greater air flow. Either option would
increase system efficiency.
Heat Transfer Coefficient
Figure 11 is a plot of the heat transfer coefficient (U) for the different heat
exchangers. The U values are averaged over the four evaporating temperatures. The
graph shows a significant improvement in heat transfer of the MC condenser over the
RTPF condenser. In many cases, the heat transfer coefficient is more than twice that
of the RTPF. The dual slab condenser has a lower heat transfer coefficient than the
single slab due to the flow arrangement and large size.
Summary
Overall, compared to an air cooled RTPF condenser, the MCHX condenser offers the
following significant advantages:
1. Condenser weight reduced 14 times, or 7% of baseline weight
2. Interior tube volume reduced 5 times, or 20% of baseline
3. Condenser charge reduced 4 times, or 25% of baseline
4. Airside pressure drop reduced to 60% of baseline
5. Equivalent cooling capacity with minimal reduction of COP in a significantly
smaller package

Discussion
Micro-channel Heat Exchanger
The results above demonstrate the viability of expanding MCHX use outside of
mobile and small refrigeration applications. The specific charge is competitive with
similar HFC equipment (Table 8), and studies, such as those conducted by Hrnjak
and Litch [5], suggest that much lower specific charges are possible.
MCHX are superior to RTPF heat exchangers in the area of size, weight, cost
and charge. They allow a refrigeration unit to be more compact while delivering
comparable performance to RTPF heat exchangers. These characteristics address
the future concerns of lower refrigerant charge systems and smaller package size.
Lower air side pressure drop can also lead to lower fan horsepower or greater system
capacity.
Semi-Hermetic Ammonia Compressor
The use of a semi-hermetic compressor allows an ammonia system to have similar

operating and maintenance characteristics to a HFC system. Both systems use
miscible refrigeration oil eliminating the added risk of oil draining in a traditional,
non-miscible, ammonia system. Use of a semi-hermetic compressor also eliminates
shaft seal maintenance that requires highly trained technicians for service and
replacement. It also eliminates a large potential for refrigerant leaks. Compressor
specifications are given in Table 9.
Interior permanent magnet (IPM) motors are used to reduce the motor size and to
help increase efficiency. This type of motor has a permanent magnet inserted into the
rotor. Since the motor does not require excitation power like typical motors, there is
an increase in efficiency [10]. Aluminum windings are necessary due to ammonias
corrosive attack on copper.

Application Potential
Many recent papers highlight the opportunity for ammonia as an alternative

refrigerant in commercial systems, noticeably Pearson (2003) [7], Hrnjak and Litch
(2001) [8], and Hinde and Zha (2009) [6]. These papers identify the possibility of
expanding ammonias use and current examples of installations, but also recognize
its limited appeal due to several significant obstacles. Use of efficiency improving and
space saving technology such as MCHX helps reduce charge which is an important
factor for wider commercial use as cited in the above papers. Further appeal comes
from implementing technology that commercial refrigeration users are already
familiar with, such as semi-hermetic scroll compressors.
Conclusion
Comparison of a MCHX and a RTPF heat exchanger were conducted, and the results
show that application of MCHX in air-cooled applications significantly improve
system design. Couple MCHX with technology such as semi-hermetic compressors,
and the use of ammonia refrigeration in traditionally synthetic refrigerant applications
becomes possible. This is an important step to addressing the four hurdles outlined
in the introduction and to continue the advancement of ammonia as the natural
refrigerant choice.
Application of ammonia as a refrigerant improves system COP over synthetic

refrigerants [3]. MCHX and semi-hermetic compressors allow for smaller equipment
size and reduce equipment charge.

Footnotes:
It should be noted that these figures are not firmly set. There are various schemes
1
for determining what is or is not a micro-channel. These discussions can be

found elsewhere and are outside the scope of this paper.
This experiment had several phases of testing. The current results are for Phase II,
2
however the MCHX was designed for the original chiller in Phase I. This accounts
for the discrepancy in the face areas of the two condensers. This also impacts
total air flow over the condenser during testing.
Special Thanks:
Special thanks goes to Creative Thermal Solutions in Champaign, Illinois, for their
cooperation and work in testing the equipment. Their expertise and knowledge was
invaluable to this process and would not be possible without them.

References
Kandlikar, Satish G.(2007) A Roadmap for Implementing Minichannels in

Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning SystemsCurrent Status and Future Directions,
Heat Transfer Engineering, 28: 12, 973-985
F. Poggi, H. Macchi-Tejeda, D. Leducq, A. Bontemps, Refrigerant charge in

refrigerating systems and strategies of charge reduction, International Journal of
Refrigeration, Volume 31, Issue 3, May 2008, Pages 353-370
A Pearson, Refrigeration with ammonia, International Journal of Refrigeration,

Volume 31, Issue 4, Refrigeration with Ammonia and Hydrocarbons, June 2008, Pages
545-551
D Westphalen, K Roth, J Brodrick, Microchannel Heat Exchangers, ASHRAE Journal,

Volume 45, No 12, December 2003, Pgs 197-109
P Hrnjak, A Litch, Microchannel heat exchangers for charge minimization in air-

cooled ammonia condensers and chillers, Internation Journal of Refrigeration, volume
31, 2008 pgs 658-668
D Hinde, S Zha, Natural Refrigerant Applications in North American Supermarkets,

Proceedings of IIAR National Conference, 2009, pgs 1-24
A Pearson, Low-Charge Ammonia Plants: Why Bother?, Proceedings of IIAR National

Conference, 2003, pgs 153-179
P Hrnjak, A Litch, Charge Reduction in Ammonia Chiller Using Air Cooled

Condensers with Aluminum microchannel tubes, Proceedings of IIAR National
Conference, 2001, Pgs 235-267

K Kawamura, et al, Design Considerations for a NH3 System Utilizing CO2 as a

seconday refrigerant in Tokyo Japan, Proceedings of IIAR National Conference, 2008,
pgs 1-14
N Mugabi, Semi-Hermetic Ammonia Compressor Packages, Ammonia Refrigeration

Technoligy, IIR Conference Ohrid, Macedonia 2009
Consulted works, not specifically cited:
S.M. Miner, An Appraisal of Ammonia as an Alternative Refrigerant in Light of the

CFC and GWP Situation, Proceedings of IIAR National Conference, 1992, pgs 231-249
B Palm, Refrigeration Systems With a Minimum Charge of Refrigerant, Applied

Thermal Engineering Vol 27, 2007, pgs 1693-1701
J McMullan, Refrigeration and the Environment Issues and Strategies for the Future,
International Journal of Refrigeration, vol 25, 2002, pg 89-99
P Fairchild and V Baxter, Ammonia Usage in Vapor Compression for Refrigeration and
Air-Conditioning in the United States, Proceedings of the IEA Annex 22 Workshop
on: Compression Systems with Natural Working Fluids Applications Experience and
Developments, 1995
N Mugabi, J Boone, K Kawamura, Refrigerant Charge Reduction in Ammonia

Refrigeration Systems, 1st IIR International Workshop on Refrigerant Charge
Reduction, 2009
A Pearson, Ammonias Future, ASHRAE Journal, Feb 2008, pgs 30-36

Figure 1. Microchannel and Conventional Heat Exchanger Example [4]

Figure 2. Examples of Other Microchannel Geometry [1]

Figure 3. Semi Hermetic Ammonia Compressor

Figure 4. Test Unit

Figure 5. Dual Slab MC Arrangement

Figure 6. Single Slab MC Arrangement

Figure 7. Evaporator Capacity vs Condenser Face Velocity
12
10
8
Evaporator Capacity (TR)
RTPF 23F
Dual Slab MC 23F
6
Single Slab 23 F
RTPF -4F
Dual Slab MC -4F
4 Single Slab MC -4 F
0
4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9
Condenser Air Inlet Velocity (ft/s)

Figure 8. System COP vs Condenser Face Velocity
3.5
2.5
2 RTPF 23F
COP (-)
Dual Slab MC 23F

Single Slab 23 F
1.5 RTPF -4F
Dual Slab MC -4F
Single Slab MC -4 F
1
0.5
0
4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9
Condenser Air Inlet Velocity (ft/s)

Figure 9. Refrigerant Side Pressure Drop
3.5
3
Refrigerant Pressure Drop (psi)
2.5
2 RTPF
Dual Slab MC
Single Slab MC
1.5
0.5
0
2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5
Mass ow (lb/min)

Figure 10. Air Side Pressure Drop
0.30
0.25
Air Side Pressure Drop (in/H2O)
0.20
0.15 RTPF
Dual Slab MC
Single Slab MC
0.10
0.05
0.00
4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9
Condenser Air Inlet Face Velocity (ft/s)

Figure 11. Heat Transfer Coefficient Comparison
140
120
Average Heat Transf Coeff (W/m^2 C)
100
80
RTPF Average
Dual Slab MC Average
60
Single Slab MC Average
40
20
0
1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Face Velocity (m/s)

Figure 12. Internal Permanent Magnet Motor Schematic

Table 1. Properties of PAG Oil
Density (15C/59F) 1014 kg/m3 (63.3 lb/ft3)

Color (ASTM) L0.5
Flash Point 236C (457F)
Kinematic Viscosity:
40C (104F) 47 cSt
100C (212F) 10.6 cSt
Viscosity Index 223
Pour Point 40C (40F)
Total Acid Number (TAN) 0.01 mgK0H/g
Table 2. RTPF Heat Exchanger Physical Properties. This is the total a

single condenser. Two are equipped per unit.
Physical Property Value

Face Area 1.074 m 2
11.55 ft2
Depth 88 mm 3.46 in
Air Side Volume 0.189 m3 6.65 ft3
Weight 140 kg 308.5 lbs
Refrigerant Side Volume 0.0072 m3 0.254 ft3
Air Side Heat Transfer Area 70.55 m2 756 ft2
Refrigerant Heat Transfer Area 3.76 m3 133 ft3

Table 3: Dual Slab MC Condenser Physical Properties. This is the total

for a dual condenser. Two dual units are equipped per unit.

Face Area 0.941 m 2
10.15 ft2
Depth 40 mm 1.57 in
Weight 19.4 kg 42.75 lbs
Refrigerant Side Volume .004 m3 0.141ft3
Refrigerant Heat Transfer Area 5.47 m3 193 ft3
Table 4: Single Slab MC Condenser Physical Properties. This is the total

for a single condenser. Two dual units are equipped per unit.

Face Area 0.941 m 2
10.15 ft2
Depth 20 mm 0.785 in
Weight 9.7 kg 21.4 lbs
Refrigerant Side Volume .002 m3 0.071ft3
Refrigerant Heat Transfer Area 2.73 m3 96.4 ft3

Table 5: Comparison of RTPF and MC Condensers
Physical Property Dual Slab vs RTPF Single Slab vs RTPF

Face Area 87.6 % 87.6 %
Depth 45.5 % 22.7 %
Air Side Volume 39.8 % 49.9 %
Weight 13.9 % 6.9 %
Refrigerant Side Volume 55.3 % 27.6 %
Air Side Heat Transfer Area 70.6 % 35.3 %
Refrigerant Heat Transfer Area 145.4 % 72.7%
Table 6. Test Conditions
Condenser Air Side

Inlet Temperature Face Velocity Evaporator
C / F (m/s) / (ft/s) C / F
5 / 23
10 / 14
35 / 95 1.5 / 4.9
15 / 5
20 / 4
5 / 23
10 / 14
35 / 95 2 / 6.6
15 / 5
20 / 4
5 / 23
10 / 14
35 / 95 2.3 / 7.5
15 / 5
20 / 4
5 / 23
10 / 14
35 / 95 2.4 / 7.9
15 / 5
20 / 4

Table 7. System Charge Information
Condenser Charge [kg / lb] Note

RTPF 5.44 / 12.0 Original Design
Dual Slab MC 5.44 / 12.0 Original Design
Dual Slab MC 2.90 / 6.39 Modified System
Single Slab MC 2.50 / 5.51 Modified System
Table 8. Specific Charge Comparisons
Specific Charge
System Type (kg/kw) / (lb/TR) Ref Type
Chilling w/secondary refrigerant 0.8 / 6.2 [2] HFC
Experimental Ammonia MC Chiller 0.018 / 0.140 [5] NH3
Ammonia RTPF Chiller 0.159 / 1.23 [ 2] NH3
Ammonia /CO2 Brine Freezer 0.06 / 0.47 [9] NH3/CO2
Current Test Unit .071 / 0.55 NH3

Table 9. Scroll Compressor Specifications
Item Value Units

Casing Design pressure 392 / 2.7 Psia / MPa
Design temp. 248 / 120 F / C
Operation Cond. Temp. 86~ 131 / 30 ~ 55 F / C
range Eva. Temp. -31 ~ 50 / -35 ~ 10 F / C
Cond. Pressure 170 ~ 335 / 1.17 ~ 2.31 Psia / MPa (A)
Eva. Pressure 13.5 ~ 90 / 0.093 ~ 0.62 Psia / MPa (A)
Rotational speed 1800 ~ 3600 rpm
Model 2 (low and high temp.)
Motor Type IPM
Nominal/Max. power (15/20) / (11/15) HP/ kW
Oil / motor cooling Liquid injection
Oil supply Oil pump
Weight 220 / 100 Lb / kg

Notes:

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Technical Papers

33rd Annual Meeting

International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration

March 2730, 2011

2011 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Show

Return to Table of Contents

Board of Directors, International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration

ABOUT THIS VOLUME

IIAR Technical Papers are subjected to rigorous technical peer review.

International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration

2011 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Show

Return to Table of Contents

Application of Micro-channel Heat Exchangers

Return to Table of Contents

Rapid technological development and implementation of refrigeration technology

Increasing awareness of the environmental effects of refrigerants culminated in

The inclusion of refrigerated facilities in Californias Title 24 Regulation (2008),

Technical Paper #7 IIAR 2011 3

Return to Table of Contents

The ability to respond to these priorities will determine future success.

Micro-channel heat exchangers (MCHX) and hermetic compressors are examples

Micro-channel Heat Exchangers

4 IIAR 2011 Technical Paper #7

Return to Table of Contents

MCHX Ammonia Chiller Package Testing

Baseline Test Model

The original chiller was an air-cooled, semi-hermetic ammonia compressor [Figure

Technical Paper #7 IIAR 2011 5

Return to Table of Contents

Two micro-channel (MC) condenser configurations were used in the tests

6 IIAR 2011 Technical Paper #7

Return to Table of Contents

Technical Paper #7 IIAR 2011 7

Return to Table of Contents

An additional benefit of using a MCHX is the smaller internal volume of the

Refrigerant side pressure drop

8 IIAR 2011 Technical Paper #7

Return to Table of Contents

Air side pressure drop

Heat Transfer Coefficient

Technical Paper #7 IIAR 2011 9

Return to Table of Contents

Micro-channel Heat Exchanger

Semi-Hermetic Ammonia Compressor

The use of a semi-hermetic compressor allows an ammonia system to have similar

10 IIAR 2011 Technical Paper #7

Return to Table of Contents

Many recent papers highlight the opportunity for ammonia as an alternative

Application of ammonia as a refrigerant improves system COP over synthetic

Technical Paper #7 IIAR 2011 11

Return to Table of Contents

for determining what is or is not a micro-channel. These discussions can be

12 IIAR 2011 Technical Paper #7

Return to Table of Contents

Kandlikar, Satish G.(2007) A Roadmap for Implementing Minichannels in

F. Poggi, H. Macchi-Tejeda, D. Leducq, A. Bontemps, Refrigerant charge in

A Pearson, Refrigeration with ammonia, International Journal of Refrigeration,

D Westphalen, K Roth, J Brodrick, Microchannel Heat Exchangers, ASHRAE Journal,

P Hrnjak, A Litch, Microchannel heat exchangers for charge minimization in air-

D Hinde, S Zha, Natural Refrigerant Applications in North American Supermarkets,

A Pearson, Low-Charge Ammonia Plants: Why Bother?, Proceedings of IIAR National

P Hrnjak, A Litch, Charge Reduction in Ammonia Chiller Using Air Cooled

Technical Paper #7 IIAR 2011 13

Return to Table of Contents