Fundamental Analyses and Observations of Liquid Droplet on Aluminum Surface for Heat Exchangers

Abstract

Abstract Aluminum is one of the most popular materials in the industry because of lightweight Furthermore, the heat exchanger is using more aluminum rather than cumbersome and costly copper inside the system. Nowadays, all of the low-temperature heat exchanger fins are aluminum. However, when the heat exchanger is used for a long time the fin of the heat exchanger will accumulate contamination inside such as dust. The existence of contamination has strongly effect heat exchanger system performance. In this study, the physical of the water droplet with the different surface roughness (Ra) on the aluminum surfaces were studied. Hence, in this experiment, the liquid water droplet behaviors on the aluminum surfaces were observed by the contact angle. The interaction between liquid droplets and solid surface on the flat plate affect the contact angle of the water droplet. Liquid water droplet movements were analyzed by considering the change of the contact angle, were used to explain liquid droplet behaviors on the aluminum surface. Consequently, in this study, the liquid droplet behaviors on the aluminum surface can be used to improve the self-cleaning surface of the heat exchanger such as the air-conditioning system