variavel0=<b>Marco Antonio Paiva</b> - mpaiva@ipt.br Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas do Est. de S.P
<b>Ding Hua</b> - ding@ipt.br IPT
<b>Abstract.</b> An experimental apparatus seeking for the thermal performance evaluation of refrigerant water-cooled condensers was implemented. Instead of the traditional vapor compression refrigeration cycle, a closed loop with an electrical vaporizer was built. Condensers under test are placed in a high level position in order the refrigerant (R22) flows by a thermosyfon effect. Several tubein- tube condensers manufactured by a Brazilian company were tested and the achieved thermal performance was compared to that of similar equipments manufactered by non-Brazilian companies. Some important operating parameters were analytically found to give more information for an eventual improvement of the product.
<b>Keywords.</b> water-cooled condenser, condenser, thermal performance, tube-in-tube condenser.