The following article was published in ASHRAE Journal, December 2003.

Copyright 2003 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers, Inc. It is presented for educational purposes only. This article may not be copied and/or distributed electronically or in paper form without permission of ASHRAE.

Microchannel Heat Exchangers

By Detlef Westphalen, Ph.D., Member ASHRAE, Kurt W. Roth, Ph.D., Associate Member ASHRAE, and James Brodrick, Ph.D., Member ASHRAE This is the tenth article covering one of several energy-saving technologies evaluated in a recent U.S. Department of Energy report. The complete report is at www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/ documents. stituent aluminum components and brazes the assembly in a brazing oven. Conventional heat exchangers, in contrast, consist of fins made from continuous sheets with holes through which the tubes pass (Figure 1). In assembly, the hairpin tubes slide through the holes and a manual brazing process connects the return bends to the open tube ends. Relative to conventional heat exchangers, MCHXs improve heat transfer in two ways. First, the smaller dimensions of the refrigerant flow passages increase refrigerant-side heat transfer. Second, the flat tube orientation reduces airside flow resistance, leading to either increased airflow or reduced fan power. Energy Savings Potential Although conventional and microchannel heat exchangers can achieve the same energy savings, MCHXs offer the poten-

icrochannel heat exchangers (MCHXs) consist of flat microchannels connected in parallel between two headers with fan-fold fins brazed between adjacent tubes (Figure 1). Each microchannel tube is typically 0.05 in. to 0.1 in. (1 to 2.5 mm) thick and 0.5 in. to 1 in. (12 to 25 mm) wide and has multiple internal passages. The parallel flow arrangement enables use of MCHXs for largercapacity HVAC applications because it avoids the excessive pressure drop created by single-tube multi-pass designs. In fabrication, a manufacturer assembles the MCHX from its con-

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tial for more cost-effective increases in the efficiency of an-air conditioning unit. A cost-benefit tradeoff to examine the potential for further efficiency improvement of a high-efficiency (11 EER) 7.5-ton (26 kW) rooftop unit evaluated several different system configurations. It used estimates of future MCHX economics based on volume production. The results indicate that MCHXs could achieve a comparable efficiency boost at significantly lower (approximately one-third to two-thirds) incremental cost than using larger conventional heat exchangers. Overall, MCHXs could boost EER from 11.0 to 12.2 with about a two-year simple payback period when applied to a unit operating in an average U.S. climate (see Reference 1 for details of the analysis). Improved heat transfer and reductions in both condenser and evaporator fan power all contributed to lower energy consumption. On a national basis, a 1.2 gain in EER translates into about a 10% reduction in the energy consumed by aircooled air conditioning equipment, equivalent to 0.1 quads (primary). This result appears to be conservative, i.e., MCHXs would likely yield greater savings relative to a 9 or 10 EER baseline unit. Market Factors Because MCHXs impact system cost in several ways besides the heat exchanger, it is crucial to perform a system analy-

sis when considering the application of MCHXs to a specific unit. The reduced size and weight of MCHXs can result in a smaller and lighter system, for example, reducing the chassis size of a packaged unit. In addition, lower airside pressure drop may decrease the required fan or blower size and, hence, component costs. Lastly, the significantly lower internal volume of an MCHX reduces the required refrigerant charge. MCHXs offer other benefits, including increased latent capacity for microchannel evaporators. Their aluminum construction also improves heat exchanger corrosion resistance. The development of MCHX leak repair techniques using epoxy rather than brazing suggests that MCHXs could be easier to repair than their conventional counterparts. MCHXs have a significant portion of the market for automotive air-conditioning unit condensers, but they have had limited success in stationary HVAC applications. Large HVAC equipment manufacturers, who generally fabricate heat exchangers for their own products, have not invested the capital equipment required to fabricate MCHXs. Similarly, MCHX suppliers who might supply smaller HVAC equipment manufacturers are not yet in a position to provide low-cost MCHXs. In sum, cost will remain a barrier until investments to costeffectively manufacture MCHXs are made. Many manufacturers appear to believe that MCHXs have greater technical risk than conventional heat exchangers. Suc-

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ASHRAE Journal

December 2003

Header

Hairpin Tube

Fan-Fold Fins Microchannel Tubes

Continuous Fins

Return Bends

Figure 1: Microchannel (left) & conventional heat exchangers.

cessful implementation of aluminum-copper joints in MCHXs requires different design and manufacturing practice than conventional heat exchangers. The currently recommended connection approach, compression ring fittings that provide a mechanical seal, works but is not as well-known as copper brazing. Brazing techniques to join copper to aluminum are being developed; these techniques also are not well-known yet. In addition, the aluminum-copper joints require protection from galvanic corrosion. Compared to conventional heat exchangers, current MCHX designs can reduce design flexibility. Some common heat exchanger design details that are difficult to implement in MCHXs include separate subcooling circuits in condensers, counterflow for refrigerants with glide, and interlacing of circuits (i.e., distributing circuits associated with multiple compressors throughout the heat exchanger to enhance part-load performance). To obtain performance equivalent to conventional deep (four or more rows) heat exchangers, MCHXs require multiple coils because the maximum typical tube width equals about one inch (25 mm). MCHXs also need accurate performance prediction tools. An Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) research program charged with improving these tools may enhance manufacturer confidence in using MCHXs.2 However, key performance information does not exist in a format convenient for heat exchanger design, such as a computer program with a user-friendly interface. References
1. TIAX. 2002. Energy consumption characteristics of commercial building HVAC systems Volume III: Energy savings potential. Final Report to U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Building Technologies, July. 2. Jacobi, A.M. et al. 2001. An assessment of the state of the art, and potential design improvements, for flat-tube heat exchangers in air conditioning and refrigeration applications Phase I. ARTI-21CR Project 20020-01 Final Report, September.

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Detlef Westphalen, Ph.D., is an associate principal and Kurt W. Roth, Ph.D., is a senior technologist with TIAX in Cambridge, Mass. James Brodrick, Ph.D., is a project manager, Building Technologies Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.
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