A Numerical Study on the Performance of the Fin - Tube Heat Exchanger Operated under the Frosting Condition

This study is concerned with the numerical analysis on the performance of the finned-tube heat exchanger under the frosting conditions. A tube-by-tube method using LMED is employed in the analysis, and the present results are compared with O' Neal's experimental and numerical results. The performance analysis has been done using a standard model with a 2-row; 2-column heat exchanger. The effects of various parameters such as fin pitch, air flow velocity, and humidity, are examined. As the fin-pitch becomes narrower, frost thickness decreases and frost accumulation increases. As the inlet air humidity becomes higher, the frost thickness and the amount of frost increase. It is also found that the amount of frost and heat transfer rate increase with increasing air velocity, but frost thickness is nearly constant over a certain velocity range.