Application of a heat pipe heat exchanger to dehumidification enhancement in a HVAC system for tropical climates-a baseline performance characteristics study

In Malaysia, humidity control is a common problem in built environments in tropical hot and humid climates as it is an important aspect of the maintenance of comfortable and healthy conditions within a controlled airspace. An 8-row thermosyphon-based heat pipe heat exchanger (HPHX) for tropical building HVAC systems was studied experimentally. This research was an investigation into how the sensible heat ratio (SHR) of the 8-row HPHX was influenced by each of three key parameters of the inlet air state, namely, dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity and air velocity. On the basis of this study, it is recommended that tropical HVAC systems should be installed with heat pipe heat exchangers for dehumidification enhancement.