Global Microchannel Heat Exchanger Market - 2022-2029

Global Microchannel Heat Exchanger Market - 2022-2029

Market Overview

The global microchannel heat exchanger market reached US$ XX million in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ XX million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period (2022-2029).

The microchannel heat exchanger (MCHE) is ideal for residential and commercial air conditioning systems and refrigeration equipment driven by energy efficiency and refrigerant charge reduction.MCHE offers an ingeniously simple, all-aluminum design that is lightweight and immune to galvanic corrosion. The aluminum construction makes it a sustainable solution due to its high strength, recyclable materials and sealed design. MCHE is efficient with the refrigerant flowing in microchannels.

The design principle results in 30% less refrigerant charge than other heat exchangers. Air-to-refrigerant microchannel heat exchangers have been used in several automotive and chemical processing industries. MCHE was introduced in the HVAC industry more than a decade ago. Still, the requirements concerning heat exchangers and their operating conditions in refrigeration and air conditioning systems are different from those applicable in the automotive and other industries.

Market Dynamics

The global microchannel heat exchanger market is expected to boost as an efficient alternative for conventional fin and tube heat exchangers.

Efficient alternative for conventional fin and tube heat exchangers

The microchannel heat exchanger is more effective for performance enhancement than a conventional fin and tube heat exchanger (F&T). Because MCHE helps reduce refrigerant quantities in air-conditioner systems, it can be used for cooling cycles and heat pump cycles for residential air-conditioners. In contrast to traditional finned tube heat exchangers, the core of a microchannel heat exchanger is extremely robust; the fins of microchannel heat exchangers are well protected from bending and mechanical damage. The microchannel heat exchanger has been increasingly applied in the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration field due to its greater efficient heat transfer rate, more compact structure and lower cost. The small diameter of the channels leads to numerous technical benefits.

The primary benefit of using MCHEs in HVAC is efficiency. Many smaller conduits provide high surface area for refrigerant-to-wall contact than larger tubes do in the same space. Increased surface area enhances heat transfer efficiency, with some manufacturers stating an improvement of 20 to 40% over the traditional fin and tube heat exchangers. The microchannel heat exchanger can minimize equipment weight and increase the device's compactness by meeting the heat exchange demand. With the advancement of process technology, microchannel technology is gradually being applied in household and vehicle air conditioning systems.

Pressure loss due to small hydraulic diameter

The substantial pressure loss associated with a small hydraulic diameter is one of the main disadvantages of microchannel heat exchangers. The cooling material does not flow uniformly down the channel due to this. Microchannels can be rather long and the first segment of the channel absorbs the majority of the heat. It reduces their ability to absorb heat in later phases.

A balance must be struck between the desirable high heat transfer coefficient and the undesirable pressure loss to get the most out of a microchannel heat exchanger. Because microchannel channels are small, wall roughness can play a big role in deciding the heat transfer coefficient.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The global microchannel heat exchanger market was negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Various end-user industries of heat exchangers like automotive have faced losses, which have affected market growth. The automotive industry pumped the brakes in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects began in China, where sales plunged 71% in February 2020; by April, sales had dropped 47% in the U.S and dived 80% in Europe. The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on all businesses, but manufacturers were especially hard hit. Lay-offs, plant shutdowns and difficulties with trade in the pandemic have culminated in a material shortage for materials important to the HVAC industry like copper, aluminum and plastics used in the manufacturing of HVAC equipment and microchips important in the programming of smart home technology.

Segment Analysis

The global microchannel heat exchanger market is segmented based on product, material, application, end-user and region.

The demand for MCHEs in HVAC will grow due to the efficiency benefits

Based on end-user, the global microchannel heat exchanger market is segmented into Chemical, Power, Food Processing, Automotive, HVAC, Avionics and Others.

MCHEs provide more freedom in terms of layout and design without having to worry about noise concerns. The cost of manufacturing raw materials and refrigerants will impact market growth. Because of the system's compactness and efficiency, fewer fans can be employed, lowering the system's overall energy consumption. Smaller fans have the added virtue of being quieter. Traditional fin and tube heat exchangers are made of copper, which is more expensive than aluminum. Businesses and facilities are also more likely to adopt MCHEs over standard heat exchangers for their HVAC needs because of the additional savings from lower refrigerant hold-up.

The market for MCHE in HVAC is very new compared to other industries. Building owners and facilities managers stand to save significantly from MCHEs in their HVAC systems. Manufacturers have redesigned the heat exchangers to maximize heat transfer properties, lower the costs of making and using the units and shorten the space needed for HVAC systems.

Geographical Analysis

Growing demand for low-wight and compact size heat exchangers in North America will boost the market growth

Propane is used successfully for industrial refrigeration in the region and has received attention from designers, retailers and operators to reduce greenhouse emissions. An indication of the rising acceptance of propane is its adoption by many key customers, from supermarket and shopping mall chains to franchise food stores and minimarts at gas stations. Microchannel heat transfer technology fits propane cooling applications: Small coil volume contributes to minimum refrigerant charge, one of the major requirements for interior installations. Due to the microchannel coil's minimal air pressure dips, a high duty/size ratio allows for a compact arrangement, while lower fan rotation speeds ensure low-noise operation.

The low weight, compact size and reduced internal volume of an all-aluminum microchannel heat exchanger were key factors in its dramatic increase in popularity in the automobile industry. The characteristics are significant in the field of cooling systems, especially when it comes to mobile cooling systems. The smaller size and weight lead to lower transport and handling costs and reduced labor cost.

In 2021, Carrier Global Corporation announced that Sanhua had joined the Carrier Alliance program and signed a long-term strategic agreement with Carrier. Under the agreement, Sanhua will supply engineered components, including heat exchangers and drives across Carrier's HVAC and Refrigeration portfolios.

In 2019, Danfoss deployed new surface modification technology on its microchannel heat exchangers. A partnership agreement, signed with Nelumbo, follows Danfoss' investment in the California-based company. The companies plan to develop advanced, customized air conditioning and refrigeration market solutions.

Competitive Landscape

The global microchannel heat exchanger market is moderately competitive due to the presence of local and global brands. Major players in the market include Kaltra GmbH, Sanhua, MAHLE, Denso, Modine Manufacturing Company, Danfoss, Hanon Systems, Kangsheng, Climetal, API Heat Transfer, among others.

The major players in the market are known to incorporate numerous market strategies to achieve growth in the global microchannel heat exchanger market; these include mergers, acquisitions, product launches and collaborations.

For instance, in 2021, Danfoss announced a range of microchannel heat exchangers for low-density, alternative refrigerants. The technology solves a design challenge for OEMs transitioning to reduce GWP refrigerants such as R1234ze and R515B, particularly in large air-cooled chillers using screw and centrifugal compression. The low density of these refrigerants makes the system performance sensitive to pressure drops.

Kaltra GmbH

Overview: Headquartered in Austria and Germany, Kaltra designs and manufactures air conditioning and refrigeration equipment and systems. The company offers water-cooled, air-cooled and free cooling chillers, precision air conditioners, IT cooling systems, and room- and row-based and energy management solutions. It also manufactures air-cooled condensers and cooling units for special applications. Additionally, Kaltra offers microchannel heat exchangers for evaporator, condenser and water cooling and heating applications and aluminum coils for small cooling applications.

Product Portfolio:

MICROCHANNEL HEAT EVAPORATOR: An internal refrigerant distributor is utilized in combination with vertical microchannel tube orientation and manifolds. It provides optimum thermal performance over various operating conditions and design issues, ensures refrigerant distribution in the inlet manifold and equal refrigerant injection in all the multiport microchannel tubes.

Key Development: In 2021, Kaltra reinforced its manufacturing capabilities by investing in production machinery. The company added core builders with bulk-hopper type tube loading systems, fin mills with louver slitting forming rolls, ultrasonic cleaning machines, extruders and test equipment that will be installed in 2022, increasing production capacity by 20%.

Why Purchase the Report?

To visualize the global microchannel heat exchanger market segmentation by product, material, application, end-user and region and understand key commercial assets and players.

Identify commercial opportunities in the global microchannel heat exchanger market by analyzing trends and co-development.

Excel data sheet with numerous data points of microchannel heat exchanger market-level with four segments.

PDF report consisting of cogently put together market analysis after exhaustive qualitative interviews and in-depth market study.

Product mapping available as excel consists of key products of all the major market players

The global microchannel heat exchanger market report would provide approximately 69 tables, 69 figures and almost 180 pages.

Target Audience 2022

Service Providers/ Buyers

Raw Material Prviders

HVAC Companies

Automotive Companies

Research Professionals

Emerging Companies

Manufacturers

Logistics companies

Distributors