The effect of external corrosion on the performance of multichannel multilouvered fin aluminum heat exchangers

In order to evaluate the effect of external corrosion of the aluminum heat exchangers on their performance, the air-side pressure drop and the UA of two identical aluminum multichannel multilouvered heat exchangers are evaluated periodically during ten days of salt spray test refers to ASTM G85 Annex 3 the acidified synthetic seawater testing (SWAAT). To explore the effect of deposit formed during the salt spray tests on the heat exchanger performance, one of these two heat exchangers is left with the deposit as it is after the salt spray tests, while the other heat exchanger is cleaned by soaking in 5% nitric acid for 3 minutes under room temperature before each performance evaluation. It is found that in this experimental study, the external corrosion has limited effect on the air-side pressure drop. However, the amount of deposit on the heat exchanger and the decrease of the air-side pressure drop are positively correlated, as every 0.1 g/cm^2 of deposit can cause a 30% increase of air-side pressure drop, approximately. On the other hand, the external corrosion changes the UA of the tested heat exchangers significantly, 1% weight loss of the heat exchangers caused by salt spray test can decrease the UA by 3.76%. The effect of deposit on the UA is unclear and it potentially depends on the amount of the deposit.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2020

Author dc:creator

• Wang, Yupeng

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hrnjak, Predrag Stojan
• Zhao, Hui

• Heatexchanger
• External corrosion
• Performance
• Deposit

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2019 Yupeng Wang

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/106405

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/106405