CH-18-C011 -- Thermal-Hydraulic Performance of Wavy-Fin Heat Exchanger Under Dehumidifying Condition

Condensate accumulation on the heat exchangers has been identified as a critical problem for evaporators operating below the dew point temperature. An experimental study has been conducted to investigate the thermal-hydraulic performance of wavy fin heat exchangers under dehumidifying operating conditions. The relative comparison of pressure drop and heat transfer rate has been made at different inlet flow rates considering heat exchanger characteristics such as fin density and flow depth. The relative contribution of sensible and latent capacity to the total heat exchanger’s capacity has been investigated at different flow rates. The phenomena of condensate carry-over has been investigated qualitatively based on observation. Towards the end the impact of fin density on heat transfer rate and pressure drop for for fully and partially wet heat exchangers has been compared.