This paper presents the development of a miniaturization technology for heat and mass exchangers used in absorption heat pumps. The exchanger consists of an array of parallel, aligned alternating shims with integral microscale features, enclosed between cover plates. These microscale features facilitate the flow of the various fluid streams and the associated heat and mass transfer. In an absorber application, effective vapor and solution contact and microscale features for the flow of both the solution and the coolant induce high heat and mass transfer rates without any active or passive surface enhancement. The geometry ensures even flow distribution with minimal overall pressure drops. A model of the coupled heat and mass transfer process for ammonia-water absorbers using this configuration under typical operating conditions demonstrates the potential for extremely small absorption components. The proposed concept is compact, modular, versatile, and in an eventual implementation, can be mass produced. Additionally, the same concept can be extended to the other absorption heat pump components as well as for several other industries involved in multicomponent fluid processes.
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June 2011
Research Papers
Design of Microscale Heat and Mass Exchangers for Absorption Space Conditioning Applications
Ananda Krishna Nagavarapu,
Ananda Krishna Nagavarapu
Sustainable Thermal Systems Laboratory, G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology
, Atlanta, GA 30332
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Srinivas Garimella
Srinivas Garimella
Sustainable Thermal Systems Laboratory, G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: sgarimella@gatech.edu
Georgia Institute of Technology
, Atlanta, GA 30332
Search for other works by this author on:
Ananda Krishna Nagavarapu
Sustainable Thermal Systems Laboratory, G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology
, Atlanta, GA 30332
Srinivas Garimella
Sustainable Thermal Systems Laboratory, G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology
, Atlanta, GA 30332e-mail: sgarimella@gatech.edu
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl. Jun 2011, 3(2): 021005 (9 pages)
Published Online: July 21, 2011
Article history
Received:
September 2, 2010
Revised:
February 11, 2011
Online:
July 21, 2011
Published:
July 21, 2011
Citation
Nagavarapu, A. K., and Garimella, S. (July 21, 2011). "Design of Microscale Heat and Mass Exchangers for Absorption Space Conditioning Applications." ASME. J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl. June 2011; 3(2): 021005. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4003720
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