Author : Abdul Hadi N. Khalifa, Issam M.Ali, and Atheer S. Hassoon

This work aims to study the improvement in thermal performance of vapor compression cycle due to replace finned tube condenser by aluminum open-cell metal foams one. For the study purpose, a simple vapor compression cycle was modified by adding many components. The traditional finned tube condenser of 24 fins per tube, with dimensions 320×240×70 mm, was replaced by an open-cell aluminum foam condenser that designed for this work and manufactured by China Beihai Building Material Co., Ltd. The porosity of the metal foam is 0.903 with 10 pores per inch (PPI). The variation of air-side heat transfer coefficient, compressor, fan power consumption, cycle COP and pressure drop were studied under the volume flow rate of air through condenser in the range of 500 to 700 m3/hr, in step of 100 m3/hr and ambient temperature in the range of 20 to 35oC, in step of 3oC. The experimental results showed that, the average enhancement in the air-side heat transfer coefficient was 542%, the improvement in the heat reject from condenser was 5.79%, saving in compressor power consumption was 16.9%, and the average enhancement in COPref was 33%. Metal foam increases air pressure drop through condenser by 1117%, in addition to the increase in fan power consumption was 1088%. Depending on the volume flow rate of air through the condenser, the beneficent factor for this work was in the range of 0.41 to 0.47.

Keywords: Aluminum Foams, Vapor compression cycle, Foam condenser, heat transfer coefficient

Article published in International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Vol.6, No.2 (April-2016)