A comparison between the packed and coated finned tube for adsorption system using aluminium fumarate: Numerical study

A transient numerical model has been developed using the segregated solution approach to study the performance of packed and coated finned tubes in adsorber beds for desalination and cooling applications. Published isotherms and kinetics of the Aluminium Fumarate in granular packed and powder-coated forms are used in the model to investigate the adsorber bed design. The fin configurations (fin spacing and fin height) were investigated at different operating conditions to obtain the optimum geometrical design for the packed and coated adsorber beds in terms of the specific daily water production (SDWP) and the specific cooling power (SCP). A comprehensive comparison of the SDWP and SCP was carried out at different fin height and coated thickness. The results showed that the maximum SCP and SDWP for the packed bed are 300 W/kg and 12.5 L/day/kg, while they are 825 W/kg and 34.2 L/day/kg respectively for the coated bed. The optimum design of the heat exchanger was found using the coated finned tube with an adsorbent material thickness of 0.3 mm.