Document b56BEa38nnqnEej6gzgMrOpN1
HEATING VENTILATING AIR CONDITIONING GUIDE 1943
times, also, brine from an industrial system already installed is the only convenient source of refrigeration.
For combined cooling and dehumidifying, surface coils present an alter nate to spray dehumidifiers. For many applications it is possible, by proper selection of apparatus, choice of air velocities, refrigerant tempera tures, etc., to perform the same duty with either. In a few cases both sprays and coils are used. The coils may then be installed within the spray chamber, either in series with the sprays or below them. In making the selection between spray and surface dehumidifiers, certain advantages of each should be considered. The fact that a spray dehumidifier is usually designed to. deliver nearly saturated air tends to simplify the control problem. In this case the dry-bulb temperature is also the dew-point, and hence a dew-point control can be arranged by using a simple duct thermo stat. Spray, dehumidifiers have the advantage over unwetted coils, of a certain degree of .air cleaning and odor absorption. On the. other hand, coils make possible a closed and balanced cooling water circuit, obviating the unbalanced pumping head, the complication of water level control, and danger from possible floods incidental to multiple-spray dehumidifiers, especially if located on different levels. The use of coils often makes it-possible-for the same Surface to serve .for summer cooling and winter 'heating by circulating cold water in the one season and hot water in the other, with' consequent saving in apparatus and piping. Surface-coil dehumidifiers seldom deliver saturated-air, and wet-bulb depression of 0.5 to 4 F (or more) is usual. Another advantage is that where the surface coil system can be used with direct expansion of refrigerant, it is com paratively low in initial and operating costs. Of course the safety of the occupant must be kept in mind in comfort conditioning applications. Some localities have refrigeration codes which restrict the use of direct-ex.'pansion coils in the air stream, and hence local codes should be consulted by the engineer before a system employing direct expansion methods is designed. The choice between spray dehumidifiers and coils depends upon the necessities and the economic aspects-of each case and no'general rule can be given. There are many, installations in which either can be used.
COIL CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT
' Coils are' basically of two types, those consisting of bare tubes or pipe 'and those of extended,Surface construction. The former are little used for the applications covered by this chapter('but are often employed where conditions cause frost accumulation, and for cooling surface within1 spray ;dehumidifiers.
The heat .transmission from air passing over a tube to a refrigerant flowing within it is impeded by three resistances. The same is true when the air is being heated by steam or hot water in the tube. The first resistance, is from the .air to. the surface of the tube, usually called the outside surface resistance or air-film resistance. Second is thifc resistance `to the flowof heat by .conduction through the metal itself. Finally there is another surface:br film resistance to the flow of heat between1 the inside -surface of the metal and' the fluid in the tube. For the applications under ' consideration both the-'resistance of the metal wall to heat conduction, and the inside surface dr film resistance are usually low as compared with the air-side surface resistance. This is especially the case where sensible
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CHAPTER 26. HEAT TRANSFER SURFACE COILS .
heating or cooling only is accomplished. - Where dehumidification accom
panies sensible cooling, dr where the external surface of the tube is sprayed
with large quantities of water, the resistance to heat flow between the tube
and the air flowing over it is much, decreased. In the case of the! water
spray> the surface resistance depends on the amount and the method of
application of the water. Economy in space, weight and cost make, it
advantageous to decrease the external surface resistance, where it ;is
proportionately large, to approach that of the tube wall, and that from
tube to refrigerant. This is accomplished by increasing the external
surface by means of fins. With water spray the external resistance is
already low, 'and the fins are ..less useful, for increasing the overall heat
transfer. Sometimes water spray is applied to the same type surface as
would have been used without it. The overall .heat transfer is not neces
sarily increased much by such an arrangement, but the water spray may
serve other purposes than to increase the flow of heat, such as air and
coil cleaning.
v. ,
In fin or extended surface coils the external surface of the tubes is
known as primary and the fin surface is:called secondary. The primary
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. Flat square fins
Fig. 1. Types of Fin Coil Arrangement
surface consists generally of round tubes or pipes. In some cases these are staggered and in others in line with respect to the air flow. The staggered arrangement gives a .somewhat higher heat transfer value but also a higher resistance to air flow and in some cases makes the header and return bend arrangement more complicated. A number of types of fin arrangement are used, the most common of which are spiral, flat and flat-crinkled or corrugated, all as shown in Fig. 1. While the spiral fin surrounds each tube individually in all cases, the flat types may be con tinuous (including several rows of tubes), or they may be round or square, with individual fins for each tube. All of these, as well as other less common types, are in use; the selection for a particular installation'being based on economic considerations, space requirements and resistances of individual designs of coils. A most important factor in'the performance of extended surface coils is the bond between the fin and the tube. Ah intimate contact is assured in a number of ways. The assembled coil may be coated with tin, zinc, etc., after fabrication. The spiral type fin may be knurled into a shallow groove on the exterior of the tube.. The tube may be expanded after the finsare'assembled, or the tube hole flanges of a flat or corrugated fin. may be made to Override those in the preceding
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