{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/132583"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/132583","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Effect of latent load on heat exchanger design","abstract":"As technology continues to advance the need for efficient thermal management systems becomes increasingly more significant [14], [16]. Heat exchangers are a fundamental component of thermal systems. These systems often operate in high humidity environments where latent loads can significantly reduce performance due to condensate accumulation on fin surfaces. The current understanding of how coatings and surface characteristics influence condensate formation and removal in these conditions is limited. In this paper we will discuss the role of surface coatings and fin density on condensation behavior and heat transfer in a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. An experimental setup was used in which a chiller supplied ethylene glycol to the heat exchanger while heaters and humidifiers created controlled high latent load conditions. The coolant flow rate, inlet and outlet temperatures, and total condensate mass were measured to quantify sensible and latent heat transfer. In addition, borescope imaging was used to capture droplet formation and generate condensation maps of the heat exchanger surface. Results revealed that surface coatings alter the distribution and morphology of condensate droplets, leading to differences in shedding behavior and overall heat transfer rates when compared to uncoated surfaces. These findings highlight the importance of combining thermal performance measurements with visual condensation mapping to better understand the interplay between heat exchanger surface characteristics and latent load performance, providing insights for the design of more efficient thermal management systems.","abstract_html":"As technology continues to advance the need for efficient thermal management systems becomes increasingly more significant [14], [16]. Heat exchangers are a fundamental component of thermal systems. These systems often operate in high humidity environments where latent loads can significantly reduce performance due to condensate accumulation on fin surfaces. The current understanding of how coatings and surface characteristics influence condensate formation and removal in these conditions is limited. In this paper we will discuss the role of surface coatings and fin density on condensation behavior and heat transfer in a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. An experimental setup was used in which a chiller supplied ethylene glycol to the heat exchanger while heaters and humidifiers created controlled high latent load conditions. The coolant flow rate, inlet and outlet temperatures, and total condensate mass were measured to quantify sensible and latent heat transfer. In addition, borescope imaging was used to capture droplet formation and generate condensation maps of the heat exchanger surface. Results revealed that surface coatings alter the distribution and morphology of condensate droplets, leading to differences in shedding behavior and overall heat transfer rates when compared to uncoated surfaces. These findings highlight the importance of combining thermal performance measurements with visual condensation mapping to better understand the interplay between heat exchanger surface characteristics and latent load performance, providing insights for the design of more efficient thermal management systems.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mah, Lauren"],"institution":"University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Mechanical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Miljkovic, Nenad"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-12","date_published":"2025-12","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:07Z","subjects":["Latent Load, Heat Exchanger Design, Fin and Tube, Borescope"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright 2025 Lauren Mah"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132583","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Miljkovic, Nenad"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Mah, Lauren"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2025-12","2025-12-08"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text","Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Latent Load, Heat Exchanger Design, Fin and Tube, Borescope"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2025 Lauren Mah"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132583"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["As technology continues to advance the need for efficient thermal management systems becomes increasingly more significant [14], [16]. Heat exchangers are a fundamental component of thermal systems. These systems often operate in high humidity environments where latent loads can significantly reduce performance due to condensate accumulation on fin surfaces. The current understanding of how coatings and surface characteristics influence condensate formation and removal in these conditions is limited. In this paper we will discuss the role of surface coatings and fin density on condensation behavior and heat transfer in a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. An experimental setup was used in which a chiller supplied ethylene glycol to the heat exchanger while heaters and humidifiers created controlled high latent load conditions. The coolant flow rate, inlet and outlet temperatures, and total condensate mass were measured to quantify sensible and latent heat transfer. In addition, borescope imaging was used to capture droplet formation and generate condensation maps of the heat exchanger surface. Results revealed that surface coatings alter the distribution and morphology of condensate droplets, leading to differences in shedding behavior and overall heat transfer rates when compared to uncoated surfaces. These findings highlight the importance of combining thermal performance measurements with visual condensation mapping to better understand the interplay between heat exchanger surface characteristics and latent load performance, providing insights for the design of more efficient thermal management systems.","Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2026-02-19 without embargo terms","The student, Lauren Mah, accepted the attached license on 2025-12-05 at 16:20.","The student, Lauren Mah, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2025-12-05 at 16:24.","This Thesis was approved for publication on 2025-12-08 at 10:48.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #23086 on 2026-02-19 at 18:29:47"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Effect of latent load on heat exchanger design"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Miljkovic, Nenad"],"dc:creator":["Mah, Lauren"],"dc:date":["2025-12","2025-12-08"],"dc:description":["As technology continues to advance the need for efficient thermal management systems becomes increasingly more significant [14], [16]. Heat exchangers are a fundamental component of thermal systems. These systems often operate in high humidity environments where latent loads can significantly reduce performance due to condensate accumulation on fin surfaces. The current understanding of how coatings and surface characteristics influence condensate formation and removal in these conditions is limited. In this paper we will discuss the role of surface coatings and fin density on condensation behavior and heat transfer in a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. An experimental setup was used in which a chiller supplied ethylene glycol to the heat exchanger while heaters and humidifiers created controlled high latent load conditions. The coolant flow rate, inlet and outlet temperatures, and total condensate mass were measured to quantify sensible and latent heat transfer. In addition, borescope imaging was used to capture droplet formation and generate condensation maps of the heat exchanger surface. Results revealed that surface coatings alter the distribution and morphology of condensate droplets, leading to differences in shedding behavior and overall heat transfer rates when compared to uncoated surfaces. These findings highlight the importance of combining thermal performance measurements with visual condensation mapping to better understand the interplay between heat exchanger surface characteristics and latent load performance, providing insights for the design of more efficient thermal management systems.","Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2026-02-19 without embargo terms","The student, Lauren Mah, accepted the attached license on 2025-12-05 at 16:20.","The student, Lauren Mah, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2025-12-05 at 16:24.","This Thesis was approved for publication on 2025-12-08 at 10:48.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #23086 on 2026-02-19 at 18:29:47"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132583"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2025 Lauren Mah"],"dc:subject":["Latent Load, Heat Exchanger Design, Fin and Tube, Borescope"],"dc:title":["Effect of latent load on heat exchanger design"],"dc:type":["text","Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Mechanical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:07Z"}