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Study of water bridge formation on fin-and-tube heat exchangers.

Number: 2448

Author(s) : ZOU H., WANG S.

Summary

Water bridge formation between fins can occur when the heat transfer surface temperature is lower than the dew point, and it can also occur when the ice melts during the defrosting/deicing process. The water bridge can lead to a significant drop in the thermal and hydraulic performance of a heat exchanger. Predicting water bridging is important for estimating the heat exchanger performance under both wet/condensation conditions and frosting/defrosting conditions.
In this work, experiments on small-scale fin arrays have been conducted to observe condensate droplets sliding and water bridging processes using high-speed cameras. The droplet shape evolvement and coalescence/bridging characteristics will be captured and quantified. Effects of different factors, including fin dimensions, fin gap, and airflow conditions, will be presented and discussed. Models to characterize the geometric parameters of the retaining condensate droplets on the fin surface have been developed based on the experimental observation. Additionally, a hydrophilic-hydrophobic wettability gradient is introduced to the fin surfaces, and the impact of hydrophobic coating length has been evaluated. The results derived from this work can provide guidance for the heat exchanger fin design to reduce water bridges and optimize thermal-hydraulic performance.

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Pages: 10 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Study of water bridge formation on fin-and-tube heat exchangers.
  • Record ID : 30033118
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: 2024 Purdue Conferences. 20th International Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2024/07/17

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