To save experimental resources and shorten the experimental cycle

a three-dimensional distributed parameter model was used to study the heat transfer performance of air-cooled condensers. Four kinds of circuit arrangements and five groups under different refrigerant flow conditions were compared

and the reliability of the model was experimentally verified. The relative error of the simulation model for predicting the heat transfer of refrigerants was less than ±10%

compared with the experimental values under the same working conditions

and the relative error of the predicted value of refrigerant pressure drop was less than ±15%. Simulations demonstrated that the optimal mass flowrate ranges corresponding to the confluences number of the circuit arrangements of 0

2

and 3 were 511~540kg/h

472~511kg/h

and 432~472kg/h

respectively

reflecting ahigh heat transfer and low entropy production. The pipeline with confluence exhibited more advantages in the low mass flowrate area

while the non-confluence pipeline exhibited better heat transfer characteristics in the high mass flowrate area.