Performance comparison of rectangular mini-channel and conventional round tube condensers in split-type air conditioning system: an experimental approach

The effect of a conventional round tube condenser and a Mini-channel condenser of a split-type air conditioner of 12,000 BTU/hr is compared in this paper in terms of geometrical parameters and performance parameters. In this present study, temperature and pressure were determined through experiments on both Mini-channel and round tube condensers with the same experimental setup, except for the condenser. These experimental data were used to calculate enthalpy, coefficient of performance (COP) and other parameters for the Mini-channel and round tube condensers. Data from both cases were compared. After comparison, it was found that the Mini-channel condenser has 11% higher COP than the round tube condenser, and it also requires 65.5% less refrigerant. Furthermore, the volume was reduced by 17.85%, and the frontal area was reduced by 44%. This means that the Mini-channel condenser will occupy less space than the round tube condenser. Therefore, it is suggested to use the Mini-channel condenser for the thermal management of the air conditioning system.