Finned Tube Condenser of Atmospheric Water Harvesting System

Finned Tube Condenser of  Atmospheric Water Harvesting System

Working Principle

The principle of heat exchange is utilized to allow warm, moist air to flow over the surface of the finned tube where the temperature is lower. The temperature of the finned tube surface is usually lowered by circulating a low-temperature cooling medium, such as cold water or refrigerant, inside the finned tube. When the moist air comes into contact with the cooler finned tube surface, the water vapor in it becomes saturated with cold and condenses into water droplets, thus realizing the purpose of collecting moisture from the atmosphere.

Structural features

Fin: Usually made of thin metal sheets, such as aluminum, copper or stainless steel, with good thermal conductivity. There are various shapes and arrangements of fins, the common ones are flat fins, corrugated fins, open window fins, etc., in order to increase the contact area between the air and the finned tube and improve the condensation efficiency.

Tube body: generally round or oval metal tubes, commonly used materials are copper, steel, etc.. Inside the tube body is the channel of cooling medium, the cooling medium flows inside the tube, takes away the heat, makes the surface temperature of the tube lower, and provides low temperature conditions for the condensation of water vapor.

Frame: It is used to support the finned tube to ensure its structural stability and strength, so that the finned tube can withstand the pressure of air flow and various forces during the operation of the system. The frame is usually made of metal materials, such as angle steel, channel steel, etc.

Material Selection

Fin material: aluminum fins have the advantages of light weight, low cost, good thermal conductivity, etc., and are widely used in atmospheric water collection system; copper fins have excellent thermal conductivity, but the cost is higher; stainless steel fins have good corrosion resistance and are suitable for harsh environments.

Tube body material: copper tube has good thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, but the price is relatively high; steel tube has high strength and low cost, but the thermal conductivity is not as good as that of copper tube, and it needs anticorrosion treatment. In the actual application, according to the system's working environment, performance requirements and cost and other factors to consider the selection of suitable materials.

Advantages

High-efficiency condensation: By increasing the finned structure, the contact area between the air and the cooling surface is greatly improved so that the water vapor can more fully contact the low-temperature surface, thus improving the condensation efficiency and increasing the amount of water collected.

Compact design: due to the high efficiency heat transfer performance of finned tubes, under the same water collection efficiency, the finned tube condenser is relatively small in size and occupies a small area, which makes it easy to install and integrate into various atmospheric water collection systems.

Adaptable: According to different atmospheric conditions and water harvesting requirements, suitable finned tube types, materials and sizes can be selected, as well as the temperature and flow rate of the cooling medium can be adjusted to suit different environments and work requirements.