This paper addresses the impact of high humidity on humidity sensitive Florida industries and presents the results of: 1) two Florida surveys which address the perceived severity of the issue; 2) the selection and monitoring of an industrial factory which had a humidity problem that could be mitigated using a commercial heat pipe; and 3) computer simulation of the performance of the AC system within the modeled building for the cases with and without a heat pipe. The application of dehumidifier heat pipes to a cable manufacturing industrial factory, the before and after impact of the installation on the company product and costs are described.A unique aspect of the heat pipe was the ability to turn it on and off by closing or opening ball valves in the heat pipe circuits. Data from the primary system monitoring points (HVAC power, heat pipe, condensate flow, outdoor and indoor temperature and humidity sensors) was connected to a data logger from which it was then sent over the phone lines to the our data storage facility. Daily hard copies were also provided.The simulation models for the HVAC system and building were used to estimate the impact of the heat pipe on the manufacturing costs. Use of the heat pipe significantly enhanced the manufacturing conditions in the factory.
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