Dynamic Modeling of Heat Exchangers With Humidity and Condensation Available to Purchase

The effects of air humidity on the performance of refrigerant-to-air heat exchangers in vapor compression systems (VCSs) are non-negligible in modeling and control design for some applications. Such applications include both those in which the ambient humidity is expected to vary greatly over time and those in which control of the air outlet humidity is desired. This paper presents a control-oriented dynamic model for cross-flow refrigerant-to-air heat exchangers that uses knowledge of the air inlet humidity to improve the accuracy of refrigerant-side and air-side outputs, as well as to calculate the air outlet humidity and rate of condensate formation. Simulation results are validated with experimental data collected from a 1kW VCS test stand.