An experimental study on condensate film of indirect evaporative cooler

Abstract In hot and humid regions, the non-ignorable thermal resistance of condensate film can weaken the process of heat and mass transfer under total condensation in the dry channels of indirect evaporative cooler (IEC). In this study, the average thickness of condensate film was proposed and a comparison of thermal resistance of plate and condensate film was investigated under total condensation by a visualized cross-flow indirect evaporative cooler (IEC) experiment system. The experimental results showed that condensate film could be formed and the thermal resistance of condensate film was non-ignorable under total condensation due to thick water film. It could be a guidance in terms of reducing thermal resistance, saving energy and proposing a novel mathematical model under total condensation.