http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1909296653

Effect of Condensation on Performance and Design of Extended Surfaces

Heat transfer surfaces operating in cold regions often involve condensation. The analytical and experimental progress made in understanding the process of condensation on extended surfaces (fins) is reviewed in detail. The review covers condensation of pure vapor as well as dehumidification of air. The analytical models discussed range from simple Nusselt-type analysis to the three dimensional conjugate approach, in which the conservation equations for the condensate film are tightly coupled to conduction in the fin. A separate section discusses the topic of dehumidification of air on tinned cooling coils. Other topics reviewed include condensation on horizontal integral fin tubes, convective condensation in internally finned tubes, and condensation in micro-fin tubes. Although condensation on horizontal integral fin tubes appears to be well understood, our understanding of convective condensation in internally finned tubes, particularly the micro-fin tubes, is very limited. Furthermore, there exists no established methodology for designing extended surfaces for condensation applications. This report contains several examples illustrating the theoretical results that provide some insight into the design process.

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