Effect of Saturation Temperature Change Due to Pressure Loss of Refrigerants on Heat Transfer Capacity of Heat Exchanger

Heat exchanger is an essential component in the HVAC&R applications. The heat exchanger development methods are divided into simulation and experiment. Simulation is often used by researchers because it can save a lot of time and money over experimental method. However, it is difficult to model all physical phenomena in simulation. Some phenomena are simulated with ideal assumptions based on experience. To analyze an ideal heat exchanger without pressure loss of the refrigerant, the saturation temperature of the heat exchanger is assumed to be constant. Whereas, saturated temperature drop occurs due to the pressure loss of the refrigerant in a real case scenario which affects the heat transfer capacity of the heat exchanger. In this study, a theoretical method to evaluate the effect of saturated pressure loss of refrigerant on the heat transfer capacity in heat exchanger was proposed and analyzed. The proposed method was verified by simulation. R134a, R410A, R600a, R32, and R1234yf were selected as refrigerants for analysis which are used in air conditioners and refrigerators. As a result, the heat transfer capacity ratio of the cycle using R134a showed 96.11% under the condensing condition of 15 kPa pressure loss, and 108.97% and 123.17% for air conditioner and refrigerator evaporating conditions, respectively. Moreover, R600a showed the greatest performance change, and R32 showed the smallest performance change

Development of suction pipe design criterion to secure oil return to compressor

In the present work, phenomena associated with counter current flow limitation (CCFL) were experimentally investigated using small diameter tubes in order to suggest criterion for which the oil return is secured. The test section is made of Pyrex glass tube to allow visual observation. The inner diameter of the test tube is 7mm and the height is 1m. The inclination of test tubes varied from vertical to crank type with various horizontal lengths. Waterair flow and lubricant oil-air flow were examined through a series of experiment at various liquid flow rates. In this experimental study, flow reversal and flooding phenomena were visually observed and two-phase flow rate were measured. Flow reversal point represents the air flow rate when the liquid film begins to flow downwards in the tube below the liquid inlet location. Whole supplied liquid flows upward when the gas flow rate is larger than this value. So the flow reversal point can be interpreted as oil return criterion and the flow reversal points were measured using various shape of test section in a wide range of liquid flow rate. The gas velocities for the flow reversal point appeared to be similar over a certain range of liquid flow rate. Flooding point was defined as the air flow rate when liquid starts to flow above the liquid inlet part. The air flow rate needed to cause flooding is inversely proportional to the liquid flow rate. Both flow reversal and flooding velocity also depend on the inclination angle, horizontal length and liquid property

Effect of Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce Master Alloy on the Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Commercial Pure Al and Hypoeutectic Al-8Si Alloy

Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy was synthesized by a method of thermal explosion reaction in pure molten aluminum and used to modify commercial pure Al and hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy. The microstructure and tensile properties of commercial pure Al and hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy with different additions of Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy were investigated. The results show that the Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce alloy was composed of α-Al, granular TiC, lump-like TiAl3 and block-like Ti2Al20Ce. Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (0.3 wt %, 5 min) can significantly refine macro grains of commercial pure Al into tiny equiaxed grains. The Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (0.3 wt %, 30 min) still has a good refinement effect. The tensile strength and elongation of commercial pure Al modified by the Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (0.3 wt %, 5 min) increased by roughly 19.26% and 61.83%, respectively. Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (1.5 wt %, 10 min) can significantly refine both α-Al grains and eutectic Si of hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy. The dendritic α-Al grains were significantly refined to tiny equiaxed grains. The morphology of the eutectic Si crystals was significantly refined from coarse needle-shape or lath-shape to short rod-like or grain-like eutectic Si. The tensile strength and elongation of hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy modified by the Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (1.5 wt %, 10 min) increased by roughly 20.53% and 50%, respectively. The change in mechanical properties corresponds to evolution of the microstructure

The Trend of Permeability of Loess in Yili, China, under Freeze–Thaw Cycles and Its Microscopic Mechanism

Loess landslides induced by the freeze–thaw effect frequently occur in Yili, China. Freeze–thaw cycles cause indelible changes in the soil microstructure, affecting its permeability. This study investigated the impacts of freeze–thaw cycles on the permeability of Yili loess using permeability tests on undisturbed (virgin, in situ) and remolded loess samples taken before and after freeze–thaw cycles. Scanning electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques were utilized to investigate the microscopic mechanism of the freeze–thaw process on the loess. Grey relation analysis (GRA) was employed to analyze the correlation between macroscopic permeability and microscopic parameters (maxi. radius, eccentricity, fractal dimension, directional probability entropy, and porosity). The results revealed that the permeability and all the microstructure parameters have roughly shown the same trend: “fluctuation–towards equilibrium–stability”. Firstly, the permeability coefficients of original and remolded loess experienced three and two peaked–trends, respectively, before 30 freeze–thaw cycles. The trends eventually stabilized within 30–60 freeze–thaw cycles. Increased number of freeze–thaw cycles disintegrated large particles in undisturbed loess into medium–sized particles, and particle shapes became more uncomplicated. Medium–sized particles in the remolded loess agglomerated to larger particles with more complex shapes. Furthermore, the overall porosity of the originally undisturbed loess decreased, and large and medium–sized pores transformed into small pores and micropores. In contrast, the overall porosity of remolded loess increased. Finally, the results revealed that permeability coefficients of the undisturbed and remolded loess became closely related with eccentricity and porosity, respectively. This study provides a reference for preventing and governing the loess landslides induced by the freeze–thaw cycles and permeability reduction in construction on loess in seasonally frozen areas in Yili

Genome-wide analysis reveals selection for Chinese Rongchang pigs

Livestock have undergone domestication and consequently strong selective pressure on genes or genomic regions that control desirable traits. To identify selection signatures in the genome of Chinese Rongchang pigs, we generated a total of about 170 Gb of DNA sequence data with about 6.4-fold coverage for each of six female individuals. By combining these data with the publically available genome data of 10 Asian wild boars, we identified 449 protein-coding genes with selection signatures in Rongchang pigs, which are mainly involved in growth and hormone binding, nervous system development, and drug metabolism. The accelerated evolution of these genes may contribute to the dramatic phenotypic differences between Rongchang pigs and Chinese wild boars. This study illustrated how domestication and subsequent artificial selection have shaped patterns of genetic variation in Rongchang pigs and provides valuable genetic resources that can enhance the use of pigs in agricultural production and biomedical studies