Compact, Lightweight Shipboard Refrigerant Phase Separator

Two-phase refrigerant pumped-loop systems are a promising approach to efficiently and effectively remove heat from directed energy weapons and high power radar systems of future warships. One of the key technical challenges of these new thermal systems is maintaining the flow stability and system reliability under the dynamic motion of a ship. Creare proposes to develop a liquid-vapor phase separator whose performance is insensitive to the dynamic motion of a ship. The innovative phase separator will help eliminate long two-phase flow transfer lines, enhance the condenser performance and prevent vapor ingress into the pump, and thus enhance the system stability and reliability. In Phase I, Creare designed a subscale Microchannel Membrane Phase Separator and demonstrated its ability to separate an R134a two-phase flow when tilted from a vertical position to a horizontal position over a wide range of inlet quality. The predicted phase separator size and mass are 12% and 8% of a gravity-assisted one, respectively. In Phase II, Creare will build a 100 kW phase separator and fully characterize its performance in a pumped loop on a dynamic platform over a wide range of conditions and deliver the phase separator to the Navy for further performance characterization.