Re/Gent supplies advanced heat exchanger (HX) test rigs designed to measure the thermal performance of evaporators and condensers using actual refrigerants, including R600a and R290.
These systems allow manufacturers and researchers to evaluate components under realistic thermodynamic conditions, providing results that closely match true appliance or system performance.
The refrigerant-based rigs measure heat exchangers under evaporation and condensation, exactly as they operate in, heat pumps, refrigerators, freezers, or commercial coolers.
The rig supports testing of:
- Forced-air evaporators
- Forced-air condensers
- Microchannel heat exchangers
- Plate heat exchangers (liquid to refrigerant)
The systems are designed to safely and effectively handle flammable refrigerants, offering fully integrated monitoring, control, and safety functions. To ensure accurate and repeatable performance measurements, the system incorporates a precision-controlled wind tunnel, enabling full control over:
- Airflow velocity
- Air temperature and relative humidity
- Evaporator and condensation temperatures
Humidity control ensures conditions remain repeatable and representative of real world operation. With real refrigerants flowing through the heat exchanger, the system evaluates performance using high-precision instrumentation, capturing parameters such as:
- Refrigerant mass flow
- Evaporation and condensation temperatures
- Refrigerant pressures and pressure drops
- Airflow rate, pressure drop and air-side temperature distribution
- Frost formation behavior for evaporators