The gas-liquid flow distributions in multi-pass channels that simulate a compact evaporator used for an automobile air-conditioning system was examined experimentally. The test channel had a horizontal header with a square cross section of 20mm × 20mm and a length of 255mm, and ten upward branches with a length of 200mm were connected to it. Experiments were conducted in an isothermal air-water flow system. Special attention was directed to influences of (i) flow-inlet condition at the header entrance (stratified-flow inlet and mist-flow inlet), (ii) pressure condition at the branch outlets (uniform backpressure and non-uniform backpressure) and (iii) pressure-loss characteristics of branches (flat tubes and multi-port tubes) on the gas-liquid distribution characteristics. In addition to the gas-liquid distributions to branches, the pressure distributions in the headers were measured to make clear the pressure condition in a real evaporator. It was found that the outlet pressure condition of branches exerts great influence on the gas-liquid distributions to branches in the channel with flat tube branches, but it has only minor influence in the channel with multiport tube branches. The flow-inlet condition at the header entrance has significant influence on the gas-liquid distribution, and the uniformity of the liquid distribution to branches is improved under the mist-flow inlet condition. The pressure in the headers showed uniform distributions in the longitudinal direction, suggesting that the uniform backpressure condition at the branch outlets is appropriate for reproducing the flow in a real compact evaporator with multi-pass channels.

The gas-liquid flow distributions in multi-pass upward parallel channels that simulate the evaporator for the automobile air-conditioning system were examined experimentally. Attention was directed to the influences of the backpressure condition at the branch outlets and of the flow-inlet condition at the header entrance on the gas-liquid distributions to the branches. Experiments were conducted in an isothermal air-water flow system. The influence of the backpressure condition on the flow distributions changed depending on the flow-inlet condition. In the stratified-flow inlet, the backpressure condition was highly influential in both the air and water distributions, and the uniform water distribution that was ideal for the evaporators could not be achieved even if air was distributed uniformly to all branches. In the mist-flow inlet, the water distribution was insensitive to the backpressure conditions and its uniformity was improved in comparison with that in the stratified-flow inlet.

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