Two-Phase Pressure Drop of CO₂ in Mini Tubes and Microchannels

Two-phase pressure drops of CO₂ are investigated in mini tubes with inner diameters of 2.0 and 0.98 mm and in microchannels with hydraulic diameters from 1.08 to 1.54 mm. For the mini tubes, the tests were conducted with a variation of mass flux from 500 to 3570 kg/m²s, heat flux from 7 to 48 kW/m², while maintaining saturation temperatures at 0°C, 5°C and 10°C. For the microchannels, mass flux was varied from 100 to 400 kg/m²s, and heat flux was altered from 5 to 20 kW/m². A direct heating method was used to provide heat into the refrigerants. The pressure drop of CO₂ in mini tubes shows very similar trends with that in large diameter tubes. Although the microchannel has a small hydraulic diameter, two-phase effects on frictional pressure drop are significant. The Chisholm parameter of the Lockhart and Martinelli correlation is modified by considering diameter effects on the two-phase frictional multiplier.