An Experimental Study on the Defrosting Behavior of a Fin-Tube Heat Exchanger

The effect of various conditions of frosting and defrosting on the defrosting behavior of a fin-tube heat exchanger has been examined experimentally. An electric heater is used for defrosting in a fin-tube heat exchanger. There are several local maxima in the water draining rate. The amount of residual water on the heat exchanger after completion of defrosting is kept constant due to surface tension on the heat exchanger. Without considering degradation of the thermal performance due to the frosting, the defrosting efficiency is improved with increasing amount of frost irrespective of the frosting condition. The defrosting behavior is affected by frosting density as well as frost accumulation, both of which vary with the experimental operating conditions. The heat loss to the surrounding air decreases, and melting and defrosting efficiencies show high values with decreasing heat input.