Heat Transfer to Unfrosted Wind Convectors: Mathematical Modeling and Comparison With Experimental Results

Abstract

Wind convectors are an alternative air source evaporator system for heat pumps. This paper describes a mathematical model that calculates the heat transfer to wind convectors when forced convection conditions prevail and when wind convector surface frost and rainfall are absent. The mathematical model is validated and predicts heat transfer to within 8 percent of experimental data based on a root mean square difference estimation. Further simulation studies show that heat transfer to wind convectors is dominated by sensible convection and latent heat transfer, that longwave radiation contributes less than 5 percent of total heat transfer and that solar radiation can contribute up to 25 percent of total heat transfer under optimum conditions.