Condensation Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop of R-134a Flowing in Annular Helical Pipes at Different Orientations

This paper presents an experimental investigation of condensation heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of refrigerant R-134a flowing through an annular helicoidal passage with the hydraulic diameter of 8.5 mm. The angles of helix axis are oriented at 0, 45, 90 degrees to gravity. The overall and refrigerant-side heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops are experimentally determined at saturation temperature 35°C, refrigerant mass flux 35–180 kg/s·m², and cooling water temperature 27°C. The results show that orientation has significant influence on the thermal and hydraulic behaviors of the helical pipe. The results can be employed for reference in the effective design of annular helicoidal heat exchangers with R-134a as the working fluid.