Effect of a heat pipe on dehumidification of a controlled air space

An experimental investigation has been conducted to determine the effect of a heat pipe heat exchanger on the performance of a conventional residential air-conditioning system. The aim is to determine the effects of the heat pipe on dehumidification, the amount of auxiliary reheat required to maintain the room conditions, and the latent energy-efficiency ratio of the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. In addition, a simple economic analysis of the heat pipe has been conducted. The system was operated in three modes: an enhanced system with the heat pipe installed, a conventional system with the heat pipe removed and the airflow subject only to typical restrictions, and a dampered system with the heat pipe removed by dampering added to return the airflow to the same value as when the heat pipe was installed. Based on these results, the use of a heat pipe heat exchanger in a conventional HVAC system is recommended as an efficient method for controlling humidity and reducing the amount of reheat necessary to maintain reasonable room conditions.