Refrigerant maldistribution in brazed plate heat exchanger evaporators. Part A: Testing campaign and experimental results

• Thermography is a reliable technic to evaluate refrigerant maldistribution in Brazed Plate evaporators. Evaluation of at different evaporator working conditions. Conditions with 0 superheat show uniform thermal map. The rest the conditions have shown some degree maldistribution. effect on performance depends distribution brazed plate heat exchanger distributor has been studied thermographic camera under inlet vapor quality, superheat, and water temperature drop. thermographies clear uneven except when null. In most cases, they that great part liquid accumulates end channels evaporator. degradation higher drop similar or value than superheat. On other hand, significantly drop, very situations which there an even refrigerant. registered evaporation temperatures are much lower for case 13 K highlighting importance influence this parameter performance. This research described two parts, Part A (present paper) including description experimental campaign, obtained results discussion B analysis due as well deeper causes observed increased.