MORE | Fall 2021

Enhanced Air Dehumidification Using Stretchable Tubing

Dehumidifiers are essential household appliances in many tropical regions of the world, where high ambient humidity can lead to negative health effects ranging from physical discomfort to mold-related sicknesses. Common dehumidifiers are based on mechanical refrigeration cycles using refrigerated copper tubing as a condenser, where condensed droplets are shed by gravity alone. Recent advances in soft thermally enhanced tubing offer the potential to improve condenser performance by using stretchable thermally enhanced tubes in lieu of static copper. Dynamic mechanical stretching and retraction of the tubing can be utilized to shed condensed droplets at an enhanced rate versus gravity shedding alone.