NunX-Tec Company Ltd.

This case addresses the high energy consumption and insufficient humidity control of traditional constant-temperature and constant-humidity units in a foundry workshop by adopting heat pipe heat recovery and variable-frequency temperature-regulated dehumidification technology. The equipment operates under return air conditions of 25°C/45%, achieving low dew point humidity control and significant energy savings through heat pipe pre-cooling, deep cooling dehumidification, and energy-free reheating.

Heat pipe heat recovery variable-frequency temperature-regulated dehumidifier

On-site control and operation interface

01 | Customer Pain Points and Project Background

• Traditional constant-temperature and constant-humidity units use chilled water for cooling and dehumidification and electric heating for reheating to control temperature and humidity, resulting in high energy consumption; the operation of two-stage water pumps also brings additional maintenance costs.
• The customer's new products require lower humidity, and the original equipment struggled to stably reach 25°C/35%RH, with a yield rate of only 60%.
• The project adopts a variable-frequency water-cooled temperature-regulated dehumidifier with cold and heat recovery, aiming to reduce operating power, improve humidity uniformity, and improve product yield.

02 | Solution Comparison and Energy-Saving Results

Under the conditions of 10,000 m³/h and return air at 25°C/45%, a comparison was made between the traditional chilled water solution and the two-stage heat recovery solution:

After the retrofit, the system operating power was reduced from 145kW to 11.7kW. Compared with the traditional chilled water + electric heating solution, it saves about 120kWh per hour; compared with the traditional high-energy-consumption desiccant wheel dehumidification solution, it saves about 130kWh per hour, with annual electricity cost savings exceeding 1 million yuan.

03 | Customer Measured Data

The customer conducted a full-load operation test on November 27, 2025, focusing on recording temperature, humidity, and energy recovery data of the heat pipe, surface cooler, compressor, and supply air side.

Mass Production Load Test

Test conditions: The dehumidification room is at full load, all industrial fans are connected in parallel and running at full power, and the dehumidification room maintains its on-site state.

Test purpose: To verify the full-load dehumidification capacity, extreme humidity, equipment COP under mass production conditions, and the temperature and humidity uniformity of the dehumidification room.

Test method: Set the maximum air volume to 17,354m³/h and the minimum air volume to 10,412m³/h, and let the equipment run in external circulation warm-up for more than 10 minutes; after turning on all circulation fans, connect the air valves and compare the temperature and humidity at the four corners and five points of the workshop; simultaneously collect data for one batch of ball heads from layer 2 to layer 6.

Air handling path of mass production load test

Note: The full-load period is November 27 at 07:30. Dehumidification efficiency is affected by equipment structure, heat dissipation efficiency, and operating methods; the data is used to reflect the dehumidification efficiency of this batch of ball heads.

04 | Core Product Features

1. Adopts DC variable-frequency technology, achieving a minimum dew point temperature of 3~5°C.
2. The heat pipe heat exchanger has high thermal conductivity, and combined with heat recovery, it can significantly reduce the cooling load.
3. In existing cases, under inlet air conditions of 25°C/45% and an air volume of 10,000m³/h, about 54kW of cooling capacity can be recovered.
4. Low-humidity energy-saving operation, with return air humidity controllable to 30%@25°C.
5. Adopts self-developed DDC controller and touch screen, supporting multiple sets of adaptive algorithm adjustments.
6. Under 30%@25°C conditions, it can replace high-energy-consumption desiccant wheel dehumidifiers, with energy consumption less than 10% of the desiccant wheel solution.
7. Supports mobile APP remote monitoring, remote OTA upgrades, and global remote maintenance.
8. Uses compressor waste heat for condensing heat recovery and reheating, reducing or replacing electric heating.
9. Simultaneous temperature and humidity control; one unit can perform the functions of both a traditional air conditioner and a dehumidifier.

Remote OTA Upgrade

The customer's equipment still needs cooling in winter, when the outdoor temperature is below 0°C. After internal communication, the technical team promptly provided a solution and completed the OTA upgrade within 3 hours, ensuring continuous and stable operation of the equipment.

Remote OTA upgrade for winter cooling scenario

Remote control and operation monitoring

05 | Equipment Principle and Heat Pipe Technology

The equipment uses heat pipes and the compressor system in coordination to complete air pre-cooling, deep cooling, reheating, and supply, minimizing the use of electric heating throughout the temperature and humidity regulation process.

1. Uses an energy-free heat pipe heat recovery device to pre-cool the air to about 15°C.
2. Uses compressor refrigerant for deep cooling, cooling the air to about 2°C and significantly reducing the air's moisture content.
3. Uses the heat pipe heat recovery device to pre-heat the air to 15~18°C.
4. Recovers compressor waste heat for reheating, raising the supply air temperature to 25~35°C to meet the heat demand of the drying room.
5. The pre-cooling, pre-heating, and reheating processes are all completed by energy-free heat recovery technology.

Air handling process with heat pipe and compressor coordination

What is a heat pipe?

A heat pipe is a heat transfer component with high thermal conductivity that efficiently transfers heat through the phase change process (evaporation and condensation) of an internal working fluid at the cold and hot ends.

• High-efficiency thermal conductivity: Thermal conductivity is far higher than most solid metals.
• Passive operation: Requires no external power and works through its own physical process.
• Fast thermal response: Can quickly transfer heat from the heat source to the heat dissipation end.
• Application fields: Suitable for high heat dissipation demand scenarios such as semiconductor cooling, aerospace, high-efficiency energy-saving air conditioning, and dehumidification systems.

Heat pipe heat exchange principle

Comparison of Thermal Conductivity Between Heat Pipes and Common Materials

06 | Measured Performance and Operating Data

The customer's measured cooling COP is 9.5, and the overall COP is 19. The system integrates multiple energy-saving technologies to reduce operating costs while maintaining process temperature and humidity.

Customer on-site continuous operation data curve

2025/6/4 Operating Data Details

The sampling interval is June 4, 2025, 19:10–19:43, with no record at 19:15. The complete operating data is as follows: