CONJUGATE FORCED-CONVECTION CONDUCTION ANALYSIS OF THE PERFORMANCE OF A COOLING AND DEHUMIDIFYING VERTICAL RECTANGULAR FIN

A theoretical analysis of the performance of a cooling and dehumidifying vertical rectangular fin has been carried out. Conventional fin theory based on a non-uniform heat transfer coefficient was extended by assuming that the fin is thin and a laminar boundary layer exists around the fin surface. Numerical results for the fin efficiency under various psychrometric and flow conditions were obtained by solving simultaneously the coupled convective boundary layer equation of the fluid and conduction equation of the fin. Under these conditions, numerical results are presented and compared with those of a dry fin. The effect of convection-conduction parameter (CCP) on the fin performance was also investigated.