Characteristics of Frost Formed on Heat Exchanger Fins of Non-Uniform Temperature Distribution

In this study, frosting experiment was conducted to investigate the characteristics of frost formed on heat exchanger fins of non-uniform temperature distribution. Temperature distribution and frost characteristics of a 2-D fin surface were investigated in the airflow direction and the direction perpendicular to airflow. Temperature gradient was very small in the airflow direction, while it was large in the direction perpendicular to airflow due to fin heat conduction. The variations of the frost thickness gradient and the frost density gradient in the direction perpendicular to airflow were significant. On the other hand, the temperature gradient on frost surface in the direction perpendicular to airflow was significant at the early stage of frosting, while it decreased gradually as time elapsed