The present paper describes results of experimental investigations of pressure drop during the condensation of R134a, R404a and R407C refrigerants in pipe minichannels with internal diameter 0.31-3.30 mm. The results concern investigations of the mean and local pressure drop in single minichannels. The results of experimental investigations were compared with the calculations according to the correlations proposed by other authors. A pressure drop during the condensation of refrigerants is described in a satisfactory manner with Friedel and Garimella correlations. On the basis of the experimental investigations, the authors proposed their own correlation for calculation of local pressure drop during condensation in single minichannels.

This paper present the results of experimental investigations of condensation of R134a refrigerant in pipe minichannels with internal diameters 0.64, 0.90, 1.40, 1.44, 1.92 and 3.30 mm subject to periodic pressure instabilities. It was established that as in conventional channels, the displacement velocity of the pressure instabilities distinctly depends on the frequency of their hydrodynamic generation. The void fraction distinctly influences the velocity of the pressure instabilities. The form of this relationship depends on the internal diameter of the minichannels and on the method of calculating the void fraction.