There's a litany of terms and definitions to keep straight when it comes to heat transfer and heat transfer equipment. Add in the fact that certain industries and applications may use the same term to define different things and it can get pretty confusing. For this post, we thought it'd be helpful to create a list of terms that relate to heat exchangers - their design, thermal performance, and some topics relating to how they're manufactured.

When it comes to heat exchangers, there’s a host of decisions that are impacted by application-specific factors. One such choice is the heat exchanger’s working fluid. There are dozens if not hundreds of working fluids to choose from, each with its own properties and applications with which those properties are compatible. For this article, we thought it’d be useful to create a list of some common working fluids grouped by the temperature classification in which they’re typically grouped.

Capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) are both used to measure HVAC equipment's effectiveness, but they tell different stories. Capacity, measured in tonnage or Btu./hr., refers to a unit's ability to heat or cool a space. COP measures efficiency - the relationship between a system's performance and the cost of the electricity needed to power it. To many - especially those in the commercial HVAC market - COP is the more consequential metric due to its direct impact on the operating costs for unit manufacturers' customers.

But for OEMs that have opted for R-454B as their replacement for R-410A units, there are some interesting performance implications associated with making that switch. Specifically, R-454B typically offers better COP, but based on our recent performance testing, there are scenarios in which its capacity is less than R-410A.

Zeotropic refrigerant blends have become more prevalent than ever, as regulation has pushed the HVAC-R and related industries away from single-component fluids as well as popular azeotropic* blends like R-410A. But with zeotropic mixtures comes temperature glide, an in-depth understanding of which can help you be sure that your performance calculations are as accurate as possible when designing a unit or system.

The evaporator coil is a critical part of any compression-expansion refrigeration cycle and is one of at least two heat exchangers used to capture and direct thermal energy for useful purposes in such systems. This article will cover some fundamentals of evaporator coils – their function, componentry, and some information on how to best design them to ensure proper function.

Unlike standard air conditioning or heating systems, heat pumps have the ability to serve both functions. Because of that, the coil selection process for heat pumps differs somewhat from non-heat pump designs. Check out our latest video to learn more about some best practices when running heat pump coil selections in Enterprise, Super Radiator's coil selection software, so you can be sure your coils perform as needed in both heating and cooling modes.

In any compression-expansion refrigeration cycle, there are (at least) two heat exchangers working in tandem to condition a space, one of which is the condenser coil. In basic terms, the function of the condenser coil is to take the heat absorbed by the system’s evaporator and move it away from the space being conditioned.

In this article, we’ll expand on the condenser coil’s function, look at some typical condenser coil configurations, and finish by discussing some design considerations for common condenser applications.

Our Refrigerant Focus series consists of deep dives into the history, properties, and pros and cons of some of today’s common refrigerants. This installment will focus on R-454B.

Well, that’s a wrap. Another AHR Expo is in the books, and we thought we’d check in with some SRC employees who attended the event to hear what they thought of the show, how it compared to previous years, and some market dynamics and ‘hot topics’ that they heard discussed during their time in Chicago.

Well, that time of year is upon us once again. For folks in the HVAC-R world, the start of a new year means it will soon be time for the AHR Expo, the largest trade show and networking event in the HVAC-R and related industries. We exhibit at the show every year (Booth #S6964 – come see us!) and send a group of SRC employees to man our booth, catch up with customers and vendors, learn about new products and technologies, and much more.

Each year, SRC's representatives consist of both longtime veterans of the show as well as those attending for the first time, and our AHR team this year is no exception. We connected with some of the SRC team members who will be attending the event to learn more about what they hope to do, see, and learn at AHR 2024.