CH-93-02-3 -- A Simplified Model of Pin Fin Heat Exchanges Under Frosting Conditions PDF

A nondimensional thermal analysis of the frosting performance of a circular pin fin heat exchanger in terms of fin performance and overall heat transfer coefficient is presented. Variable thermal conductivity of the frost layer was also addressed. It was found that the fin efficiency and fin heat transfer are strong functions of the critical radius of the frosted fin, the frost thickness, the pin fin radius, and the Biot number. It was also determined that the relative decrease in the overall heat transfer coefficient was less for the pin fin than for a rectangular plate fin.

KEYWORDS: calculating, heat exchangers, finned tube heat exchangers, frost, performance, heat transfer coefficient, heat flow, thickness, thermal properties, thermal conductivity.

Units: SI