Numerical simulation of the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics of microchannel heat exchangers with different reentrant cavities

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 4334-4348
Author(s):  
Minqiang Pan ◽  
Hongqing Wang ◽  
Yujian Zhong ◽  
Tianyu Fang ◽  
Xineng Zhong

Purpose With the increasing heat dissipation of electronic devices, the cooling demand of electronic products is increasing gradually. A water-cooled microchannel heat exchanger is an effective cooling technology for electronic equipment. The structure of a microchannel has great impact on the heat transfer performance of a microchannel heat exchanger. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristic of a microchannel heat exchanger with different reentrant cavities. Design/methodology/approach The three-dimensional steady, laminar developing flow and conjugate heat transfer governing equations of a plate microchannel heat exchanger are solved using the finite volume method. Findings At the flow rate range studied in this paper, the microchannel heat exchangers with reentrant cavities present better heat transfer performance and smaller pressure drop. A microchannel heat exchanger with trapezoidal-shaped cavities has best heat transfer performance, and a microchannel heat exchanger with fan-shaped cavities has the smallest pressure drop. Research limitations/implications The fluid is incompressible and the inlet temperature is constant. Practical implications It is an effective way to enhance heat transfer and reduce pressure drop by adding cavities in microchannels and the data will be helpful as guidelines in the selection of reentrant cavities. Originality/value This paper provides the pressure drop and heat transfer performance analysis of microchannel heat exchangers with various reentrant cavities, which can provide reference for heat transfer augmentation of an existing microchannel heat exchanger in a thermal design.

2013 ◽  
Vol 832 ◽  
pp. 160-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Alam Khairul ◽  
Rahman Saidur ◽  
Altab Hossain ◽  
Mohammad Abdul Alim ◽  
Islam Mohammed Mahbubul

Helically coiled heat exchangers are globally used in various industrial applications for their high heat transfer performance and compact size. Nanofluids can provide excellent thermal performance of this type of heat exchangers. In the present study, the effect of different nanofluids on the heat transfer performance in a helically coiled heat exchanger is examined. Four different types of nanofluids CuO/water, Al2O3/water, SiO2/water, and ZnO/water with volume fractions 1 vol.% to 4 vol.% was used throughout this analysis and volume flow rate was remained constant at 3 LPM. Results show that the heat transfer coefficient is high for higher particle volume concentration of CuO/water, Al2O3/water and ZnO/water nanofluids, while the values of the friction factor and pressure drop significantly increase with the increase of nanoparticle volume concentration. On the contrary, low heat transfer coefficient was found in higher concentration of SiO2/water nanofluids. The highest enhancement of heat transfer coefficient and lowest friction factor occurred for CuO/water nanofluids among the four nanofluids. However, highest friction factor and lowest heat transfer coefficient were found for SiO2/water nanofluids. The results reveal that, CuO/water nanofluids indicate significant heat transfer performance for helically coiled heat exchanger systems though this nanofluids exhibits higher pressure drop.


Author(s):  
X. Yu ◽  
C. Woodcock ◽  
Y. Wang ◽  
J. Plawsky ◽  
Y. Peles

In this paper we reported an advanced structure, the Piranha Pin Fin (PPF), for microchannel flow boiling. Fluid flow and heat transfer performance were evaluated in detail with HFE7000 as working fluid. Surface temperature, pressure drop, heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux (CHF) were experimentally obtained and discussed. Furthermore, microchannels with different PPF geometrical configurations were investigated. At the same time, tests for different flow conditions were conducted and analyzed. It turned out that microchannel with PPF can realize high-heat flux dissipation with reasonable pressure drop. Both flow conditions and PPF configuration played important roles for both fluid flow and heat transfer performance. This study provided useful reference for further PPF design in microchannel for flow boiling.


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hie Chan Kang ◽  
Hyejung Cho ◽  
Jin Ho Kim ◽  
Anthony M. Jacobi

The present work is performed to evaluate the heat transfer performance of a heat exchanger used in a direct methanol fuel cell. Because of material constraints and performance requirements, a louver fin heat exchanger is modified for use with conventional microchannel tubes and also with multiple small-diameter tubes (called multitubes). Prototype heat exchangers are tested, and the air-side heat transfer, pressure drop, and fan power are measured in a wind tunnel and simulated using a commercial code. The air-side pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient of the multitubes show similar trends to those of the flat-tube heat exchanger if the contact resistance is negligible. The tube spacing of the prototype multitube heat exchangers has a small effect on the pressure drop and heat transfer, but it has a profound effect on the air-side heat transfer performance because of the contact resistance between the tubes and louver fins. The air-side pressure drop agrees well with an empirical correlation for flat tubes.


Author(s):  
Wei Dong ◽  
Shengbao Zhang ◽  
Zhiqiang Guo ◽  
Xiao Yu

The primary surface heat exchanger (PSHE) is a kind of small size, light weight, high integration heat exchanger. The characteristics of the complex internal structure, complex flow pattern and the flow interaction have a great influence on the heat transfer of the air-air primary surface heat exchanger. Five cross-corrugated air-air primary surface heat exchangers with different core configurations are designed and fabricated applying additive manufacturing technology. The cross angle θ of upper and lower corrugated plates is 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, respectively. An experimental investigation on the flow and heat transfer performance is carried out. The comparison of test results of overall heat transfer coefficient and the pressure drop for different primary heat exchangers is presented. The test results show that the pressure drop is significantly increased with the cross angle increasing, and the heat transfer performance does not show the linear increasing with the cross angle increasing.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 3075-3094
Author(s):  
Qiang Pu ◽  
Farhad Aalizadeh ◽  
Darya Aghamolaei ◽  
Mojtaba Masoumnezhad ◽  
Alireza Rahimi ◽  
...  

Purpose This paper aims to to simulate the flow and heat transfer during free convection in a square cavity using double-multi-relaxation time (MRT) lattice Boltzmann method. Design/methodology/approach The double-MRT lattice Boltzmann method is used, and the natural convection fluid flow and heat transfer under influence of different parameters are analyzed. The D2Q5 model and D2Q9 model are used for simulation of temperature field and flow field, respectively. The cavity is filled with CuO-water nanofluid; in addition, the thermo-physical properties of nanofluid and the effect of nanoparticles’ shapes are considered using Koo–Kleinstreuer–Li (KKL) model. On the other hand, the cavity is included with an internal active hollow with constant thermal boundary conditions at its walls and variable dimensions. It should be noted that the dimensions of the internal hollow will be determined by as aspect ratio. Findings The Rayleigh number, nanoparticle concentration and the aspect ratio are the governing parameters. The heat transfer performance of the cavity has direct relationship with the Rayleigh number and solid volume fraction of CuO-water nanofluid. Moreover, the configuration of the cavity is good controlling factor for changing the heat transfer performance and entropy generation. Originality/value The originality of this work is using double-MRT lattice Boltzmann method in simulating the free convection fluid flow and heat transfer.


2011 ◽  
Vol 673 ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuichi Torii

The aim of the present study is to improve heat transfer performance and to attenuate pressure drop in plate heat exchanger with the different plate shapes. In this study, the single plate model of the plate heat exchanger is made and the thermal fluid flow characteristics in the narrows channel are examined for two different shaped plates, i.e., separate herringbone and plover patterns and the results are compared with that of flat or herringbone plate. In addition, the flow of the fluid with the surface of the rugged plate in the plate heat exchanger was visualized by tuft method. It is found that if the separate herringbone plate whose pith is 2 is employed, heat transfer performance is substantially enhanced for the high Reynolds number region, while pressure drop is suppressed.


Author(s):  
Alireza Rahimi ◽  
Hesam Bakhshi ◽  
Ali Dehghan Saee ◽  
Abbas Kasaeipoor ◽  
Emad Hasani Malekshah

Purpose The study aims to study the nanofluid flow and heat transfer in a T-shaped heat exchanger. For the numerical simulations, the lattice Boltzmann method is used. Design/methodology/approach The end of each branch of the heat exchanger is considered a curve wall that requires special thermal and physical boundary conditions. To improve the thermal performance of the heat exchanger, the CuO–water nanofluid, which has better heat transfer performance with respect to pure water, is used. The dynamic viscosity of nanofluid is estimated by means of KKL model. Several active fins and solid bodies are implanted within the heat exchanger with different thermal arrangements. Findings In the present work, different approaches such as heatline visualization, local and total entropy generation analysis, local and total Nusselt variation are used to detect the impact of different considered parameters such as Rayleigh number (103 < Ra < 106), solid volume fraction of nanofluid (φ = 0,0.01,0.02,0.03 and 0.04 vol. per cent) and thermal arrangements of internal bodies (Case A, Case B, Case C and Case D) on the fluid flow and heat transfer performance. Originality/value The originality of this work is to analyze the two-dimensional natural convection and entropy generation using lattice Boltzmann method.


2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Du Jun ◽  
Kum-Bae Lee ◽  
Seok-Bo Ko ◽  
Sheikh Zahidul Islam

Now-a-day’s energy recovery process in the industry is a common practice for improving the production process while major concern goes to environment. The performance of the heat exchangers, used for the purpose of recovering energy, decreases continuously with time due to fouling depending on surface temperature, surface condition, construction material, fluid velocity, flow geometry and fluid composition. To overcome the fouling of fly ash on the heat transfer surface and erosion and periodical cleaning which are the major drawbacks in conventional heat exchangers for flue gas heat recovery, a no-distributor-circulating-fluidized-bed (NDCFB) heat exchanger with automatic particle controlling is devised. One of the main advantages of this model is the reduced pressure drop through the entire heat exchanger system, while increasing heat transfer performance. The research started with a single riser system with multiple down comers and multi-riser system is also studied. The heat transfer performance and pressure drop have been evaluated through experiments for these gas-to-water lab scale heat exchanger systems. However, due to the operational complexity, these two models are not readily applicable to real applications. As a derivation of the previous studies regarding the no-distributor CFB heat exchangers, third generation model of the heat exchanger is now under investigation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingbo Hou ◽  
Yuanlong Chen

Abstract The rib arrangement has an important influence on the pressure drop and heat transfer performance of a microchannel heat exchanger (MHE) with circular reentrant cavities and ribs. In this study, four kinds of MHEs with circular reentrant cavity and ribs were designed, namely, circular reentrant cavities (circular), circular reentrant cavities and single-sided ribs (circular—single), circular reentrant cavities and odd-symmetric ribs (circular—odd), and circular reentrant cavities and double symmetric ribs (circular—double). The effect of the rib arrangement on the pressure drop and heat transfer performance of MHEs was numerically investigated by ansysfluent 15.0. The experimental platform was then designed and built for the subsequent experimental verification. The results showed that the pressure drop between the inlet and outlet of the MHE with circular reentrant cavities and ribs increased as the inlet flow increased. At the same inlet flowrate, the pressure drop between the inlet and outlet of the MHEs was largest for the circular reentrant cavities and double symmetric ribs, followed by the circular reentrant cavities and odd-symmetric ribs, circular reentrant cavities and single-sided ribs, and the circular reentrant cavities. The presence of the rib structure increased the inlet and outlet pressure drop of the MHE. The MHE with circular reentrant cavities and double symmetric ribs had the largest inlet and outlet pressure drop, followed by that with circular reentrant cavities and odd-symmetric ribs, that with circular reentrant cavities and single-sided ribs, and that with circular reentrant cavities, indicating that the latter exhibited the best pressure drop performance. At the same inlet flowrate, the MHE with circular reentrant cavities had the highest hot water outlet temperature and the MHE with circular reentrant cavities and double symmetric ribs had the lowest temperature, whereas the results were the opposite for the cold-water outlet temperature. This indicates that the heat transfer performance was best for the MHE with circular reentrant cavities and double symmetric ribs, followed by that with circular reentrant cavities and odd-symmetric ribs and that with circular reentrant cavities and single-sided ribs.


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