Use of Printed Circuit Board as Electrode in EHD-Enhanced Condensation Experiments for a Shell/Tube Bundle Heat Exchanger

Electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) enhancement of external condensation of refrigerant R-134a for a twenty-four tube bundle heat exchanger was studied experimentally. The tubes used in the bundle were state of the art enhanced tubes provided by a heat transfer tube manufacturer. Printed circuit board was used as the electrode and it was inserted between the tube columns to reduce the bundle effect. Different heat flux levels were tested, ranging from 10 to 20 kW/m². The saturation temperature was 30°C and the applied electric field voltage ranged from 0 to 20 kV. The obtained test results indicated that PCB electrode worked effectively as the electrode in the tube bundle test and up to 31% enhancement was achieved. Comparison with single tube test showed that bundle was reduced to a satisfactory level.