Analysis of Fin-Tube Evaporator Performance With Limited Experimental Data Using Artificial Neural Networks

Abstract

In the current study we consider the problem of accuracy in heat rate estimations from artificial neural network models of heat exchangers used for refrigeration applications. The network configuration is of the feedforward type with a sigmoid activation function and a backpropagation algorithm. Limited experimental measurements from a manufacturer are used to show the capability of the neural network technique in modeling the heat transfer in these systems. Results from this exercise show that a well-trained network correlates the data with errors of the same order as the uncertainty of the measurements. It is also shown that the number and distribution of the training data are linked to the performance of the network when estimating the heat rates under different operating conditions, and that networks trained from few tests may give large errors. A methodology based on the cross-validation technique is presented to find regions where not enough data are available to construct a reliable neural network. The results from three tests show that the proposed methodology gives an upper bound of the estimated error in the heat rates.