REU Supplement: Small Grants for Exploratory Research: EHDHeat Transfer Augmentation of Environmentally Safe Refrigerants

过去十年的研究结果清楚地表明，电流体动力学(EHD)技术在低电导率有机介质的强化传热方面具有很好的潜力。许多新发现的制冷剂具有较差的换热特性，但似乎具有足够低的导电性，符合EHD增强的条件。提出了一项探索性的实验研究工作，以考察三种环境可接受(臭氧安全)制冷剂的EHD强化换热的有效性和适用性。选定的制冷剂是R-22、R-123和R-134a，据信它们最有可能代表未来用于住宅/商业空调和热泵系统的非共沸工质的核心。这些制冷剂的EHD沸腾换热强化潜力将作为电场参数(外加电压和电极几何形状/取向)和换热表面特性(光滑和强化配置)的函数进行研究。如果这项初步调查的结果令人鼓舞，今后将提交一份更全面的提案，以便从实验和分析两方面对问题进行系统研究。

Results of research in the past decade clearly suggest an excellent potential for electrohydrodynamic (EHD) technique in heat transfer augmentation of organic media with low-electrical conductivity. Many of the newly identified refrigerants have poor heat transfer characteristics, but appear to have a low enough electrical conductivity to qualify for the EHD enhancement. An exploratory experimental research effort is proposed to investigate the effectiveness/applicability of EHD heat transfer augmentation of three environmentally acceptable (Ozone-safe) refrigerants. The selected refrigerants are R-22, R-123 and R-134a, which are believed to most likely represent the core of future non-azeotropic working fluids for residential/commercial air conditioning and heat pumping systems. The potential of EHD boiling heat transfer augmentation of these refrigerants will be studied as a function of electric field parameters (applied voltage and electrode geometry/orientation) and heat transfer surface characteristics (smooth and enhanced configurations). Should results of this initial investigation be encouraging, a more comprehensive future proposal will be submitted whereby systematic study of the problem both experimentally and analytically can be conducted.