Stanisława Hałon, PhD, from the Division of Refrigeration and Heat Pumps, has been named a winner of the faculty competition: "Wspieramy Młodych Naukowców 2022”. The project entitled "Heat transfer characteristics during flow boiling of an alternative refrigerant R1233zd(E) in microchannels" took sixth place on the ranking list of seventeen applications participating in this year's edition of the competition.

The aim of the project is to complement the knowledge on heat transfer in a two-phase flow of alternative refrigerants through microchannels. In the framework of the project, experimental studies will be carried out to determine a boiling heat transfer coefficient of the R1233zd (E) refrigerant flowing through channels with a hydraulic diameter of 1 mm. The results will be compared with theoretical values derived from correlations dedicated to heat transfer in the flow boiling to determine the validity of their use for alternative refrigerants.

Test rig located in the Laboratory of Multiphase Processes Intensification: (1) microchannel test section, (2) condenser, (3) pump, (4) refrigerant tank, (5) rotameter, (6) preheater.

The data collected will allow the identification and more complete understanding of the mechanisms responsible for boiling heat transfer in microchannels. They will supplement the existing experimental database with boiling of the alternative refrigerant R1233zd(E) in channels of a size not previously studied. Consequently, it will be possible to verify the influence of the working medium and the channel size on the heat transfer dynamics. The obtained knowledge will contribute to the development of new or modification of already existing models of the flow boiling in microchannels, since the currently available ones are characterized by limited accuracy. The development of a model with a wide range of applicability will allow the optimization of refrigeration systems based on boiling in microchannels.

Congratulations!