Experimental Study on Refrigerant Flow Pattern-Flow Resistance Coupling Characteristics and Two-Phase Pressure Drop Prediction for Horizontal Tube

WANG Jianwei; LIU Yantao; ZHOU Chenjie; GAO Zheming; YAN Gang; CHU Wenxiao; WANG Qiuwang

doi:10.7652/xjtuxb202512010

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Experimental Study on Refrigerant Flow Pattern-Flow Resistance Coupling Characteristics and Two-Phase Pressure Drop Prediction for Horizontal Tube

更新时间：2025-12-08

- Experimental Study on Refrigerant Flow Pattern-Flow Resistance Coupling Characteristics and Two-Phase Pressure Drop Prediction for Horizontal Tube
- Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University Vol. 59, Issue 12, Pages: 117-127(2025)
- 作者机构：
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.7652/xjtuxb202512010
  CLC： TK124
- Received：07 May 2025，
  
  Published：10 December 2025
- 稿件说明：
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WANG Jianwei, LIU Yantao, ZHOU Chenjie, et al. Experimental Study on Refrigerant Flow Pattern-Flow Resistance Coupling Characteristics and Two-Phase Pressure Drop Prediction for Horizontal Tube[J]. Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 2025, 59(12): 117-127.
DOI：

WANG Jianwei, LIU Yantao, ZHOU Chenjie, et al. Experimental Study on Refrigerant Flow Pattern-Flow Resistance Coupling Characteristics and Two-Phase Pressure Drop Prediction for Horizontal Tube[J]. Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 2025, 59(12): 117-127. DOI： 10.7652/xjtuxb202512010.

摘要

针对低干度两相制冷剂在水平管内的流型演变与流动机理尚不明确，从而制约着高效空调系统优化设计的问题，提出了一种流型-阻力耦合的压降预测方法。首先，搭建两相可视化实验台，同步测量了质量流速为150～750 kg/（m

·s）、干度为0～0.2时，工质R134a与R32在内径为7mm水平管内的流型与压降特性；其次，基于OpenCV软件库提取空泡份额等图像特征，揭示了弹状流、波浪流和环状流的演化规律；最后，基于流型分区策略，建立了融合流型参数（

）与无量纲数（

、

）的压降预测新模型。研究结果表明：工质R32在低流量、小干度时以弹状流为主，而工质R134a在高流量、大干度时更易形成环状流，其截面含气率较工质R32平均提高了13%；全液相摩擦系数在质量流速为360 kg/（m

·s）时达到峰值，此时最大气液相速度比亦达到最大，且工质R134a的摩擦压力梯度较工质R32提高了25%～50%；新模型将平均绝对偏差从现有模型的30%～70%降至12.31%，且89%的数据点位于±20%误差带内。研究结果可为新型环保制冷剂系统的高效优化设计提供理论支撑。

Abstract

The flow pattern evolution and flow mechanisms of low-dryness R32 and R134a refrigerants are still not fully understood

which

constrains the optimal design of high-efficiency air-conditioning systems.To address this issue

a pressure drop prediction method based on flow pattern-flow resistance coupling is proposed in this study.For the purpose of the study

a visual experimental setup was established；the flow pattern distribution and pressure drop characteristics of R134a and R32 in a horizontal circular tube with 7 mm inner diameter were studied under the flowrate of 150 to 750 kg/（m

·s）and dryness of 0 to 0.2；then image features were extracted based on OpenCV software library to identify the evolution laws of three typical flow patterns：namely

slug flow

wave flow and annular flow；finally

a new pressure drop prediction model integrating flow pattern parameters（

）and dimensionless numbers（

）was established based on a flow pattern zoning strategy.The results show that R32 displayed a slug flow under the conditions of low flowrate and low dryness

while it was more likely for R134a to form an annular flow under the conditions of high flowrate with high dryness

with a 13% higher cross-sectional void fraction than R32 on average；the full liquid-phase friction coefficient reached the peak at a flowrate of 360 kg/（m

·s）

concurring with the maximum gas-liquid-phase velocity ratio；a 25% to 50% higher friction-pressure-drop gradient was observed for R134a than that for R32；with the new model

the mean absolute deviation was reduced from 30% to 70% to 12.31%

compared with existing models

with 89% of the data locating within ±20% error band.These results may provide robust theoretical support for optimized design of efficient new and environmentfriendly air-conditioning systems.

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