Abstract
To explore the quantitative effect of the lubrication oil on the thermal and hydraulic evaporator performance, the detailed structure of two-phase refrigerant (R11) and lubrication oil (Suniso 5GS) flow has been investigated.
Experiment has been performed using a transparent tube 20mm in inner diameter and 2600mm in total length as main test section, which was heated by surrounding hot water bath. This water bath also functioned as the visual observation section of the transition of two-phase flow pattern. Oil mass concentration was controlled initially, and circulated into the system. The void fraction at the main test section was measured by direct volume measurement using so-called "Quick Closing Valve" method.
Since the effect of oil on the transition of two-phase flow pattern is emphasized at the low flow rate, operation was made at relatively low mass velocity, 50 and 100 kg/m2·s, five different oil concentrations were taken. Throughout the experiment, the evaporation pressure was kept at 105 kPa.
In general, when contamination of the lubrication oil happened, the void fraction was decreasing due to the change of viscosity and surface tension and the occurence of the foaming. To correlate the void fraction as function of quality, Zivi's expression was modified to include the effect of oil concentration. The agreement between the data and this proposed correlation was favorable.
Finally, to take into account the effect of lubrication oil, the new flow pattern diagram was proposed.
