Condensate Accumulation Effects on the Air-Side Thermal Performance of Slit-Fin Surfaces

Kim, G.J.; Jacobi, A.M.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/13333 Copy

Description

Title

Condensate Accumulation Effects on the Air-Side Thermal Performance of Slit-Fin Surfaces

Author(s)

• Kim, G.J.
• Jacobi, A.M.

Issue Date

2000-01

Keyword(s)

• fin-and-tube heat exchangers
• heat exchangers

Abstract

Fin-and-tube heat exchangers are commonly used in air-conditioning systems and ,. improving the efficiency of this component is very important. For a fin-and-tube heat exchanger used as an evaporator, moisture from the air can condense on the heat exchanger when its surface temperature is below the dew point. The moisture on heat exchanger surface usually increases the air-side pressure drop across the heat exchanger and affects the overall thermal-hydraulic performance significantly. The purpose of this study is to investigate condensate accumulation effects on air-side heat transfer performance, particularly for the slit-fin-and-tube heat exchanger. Real-time and steadystate mass of retained condensate are measured in order to characterize retention behavior. Plain-fin-and-tube and slit-fin-and-tube heat exchangers with varying fin spacing, numbers of tube rows and surface coatings are tested under dry and wet conditions. Using dimensional analysis and the experimental data, correlations to predict the heat exchanger performance under dry and wet conditions are developed for a slit-finand- tube heat exchanger. The correlations predict most of the experimental data within 20%. A simple model to predict the mass of retained condensate for the uncoated, slit-fin-and tube heat exchanger is developed and compared to the experimental data, and the predictions agree with the experimental data relatively well.

Publisher

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center. College of Engineering. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Series/Report Name or Number

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center CR-26

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/13333

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