CONDENSATION HEAT TRANSFER OF REFRIGERANT R134a IN A PLATE HEAT EXCHANGER

Experimental investigation on R134a in an industrial plate heat exchanger(PHE)was carried out.The temperatures of cooling water and plate inside the PHE were measured and the quasi- local heat transfer coefficients for condensation in PHE were obtained.The variation of condensation heat transfer coefficient with vapor quality,mass flow rate and heat flux are presented in the paper. The results show an increase of heat transfer coefficients with the vapor quality.Comparisons with the limited available data from literature and several correlations indicate a need for further theoretical developments.The present data may be suitable for developing correlations of the thermo-hydraulic performance of plate condensers as a function of flow,heat flux and plate parameters.