Three-Dimensional Numerical Study of Flow and Heat Transfer Enhancement Using Vortex Generators in Fin-and-Tube Heat Exchangers

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Chu ◽  
Y. L. He ◽  
W. Q. Tao
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Flow Structure ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Performance Comparison ◽  
Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Local Flow ◽  
Overall Performance

In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical investigation was performed for heat transfer characteristics and flow structure of full scale fin-and-tube heat exchangers with rectangular winglet pair (RWP). For the Reynolds number ranging from 500 to 880, the baseline configuration (without RWP) is compared with three enhanced configurations (with RWP): inline-1RWP case, inline-3RWP case, and inline-7RWP case. It was found that the air-side heat transfer coefficient improved by 28.1–43.9%, 71.3–87.6%, and 98.9–131% for the three enhanced configurations, with an associated pressure drop penalty increase of 11.3–25.1%, 54.4–72%, and 88.8–121.4%, respectively. An overall performance comparison was conducted by using the London area goodness factor. It is revealed that among the three enhanced configurations, the inline-1RWP case obtains the best overall performance, and the inline-3RWP case is better than the inline-7RWP case. The numerical results were also analyzed on the basis of the field synergy principle to provide fundamental understanding of the relation between local flow structure and heat transfer augmentation. It was confirmed that the reduction in the average intersection angle between the velocity vector and the temperature gradient was one of the essential factors influencing heat transfer enhancement. The analysis also provides guidelines for where the enhancement technique is highly needed.

Optimization and Development for Fin-and-Tube Heat Exchangers With Vortex Generators

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Ling He ◽  
Pan Chu ◽  
Wen-Quan Tao
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Flow Structure ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Pressure Loss ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Moderate Pressure ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Local Flow

In this paper, heat transfer enhancement and pressure loss penalty for fin-and-tube heat exchangers with rectangular winglet pairs (RWPs) were numerically investigated in a relatively low Reynolds number flow. The purpose of this study was to explore the fundamental mechanism between the local flow structure and the heat transfer augmentation. The RWPs were placed with a special orientation for the purpose of enhancement of heat transfer. The numerical study involved three-dimensional flow and conjugate heat transfer in the computational domain, which was set up to model the entire flow channel in the air flow direction. The effects of attack-angle of RWPs, row-number of RWPs and placement of RWPs on the heat transfer characteristics and flow structure were examined in detail. It was observed that the longitudinal vortices caused by RWPs and the impingement of RWPs-directed flow on the downstream tube were important reasons of heat transfer enhancement for fin-and-tube heat exchangers with RWPs. It was interesting to find that the pressure loss penalty of the fin-and-tube heat exchangers with RWPs could be reduced by altering the placement of the same number of RWPs from inline array to staggered array and simultaneously maintain the heat transfer enhancement level. The results showed that the rectangular winglet pairs (RWPs) can significantly improve the heat transfer performance of the fin-and-tube heat exchangers with a moderate pressure loss penalty.

Numerical Investigation of Heat Transfer Enhancement Using Hybrid Vortex Generator Arrays in Fin-and-Tube Heat Exchangers

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubham Agarwal ◽  
R. P. Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Heat Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Vortex Generator ◽  
Roll Angle ◽  
Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Maximum Heat ◽  
Hybrid Configuration

This is a novel study for assessing the heat transfer enhancement in a multi-row inline-tube heat exchanger using hybrid vortex generator (VG) arrays, i.e., rectangular winglet pairs (RWPs) with different geometrical configurations installed in coherence for enhanced heat transfer. The three-dimensional numerical study uses a full scale seven-tube inline heat exchanger model. The effect of roll of rectangular winglet VG on heat transfer enhancement is analyzed and optimized roll angle is determined for maximum heat transfer enhancement. Four different configurations are analyzed and compared in this regard: (a) single RWP (no roll); (b) 3RWP-inline array(alternating tube row with no roll of VGs); (c) single RWP (with optimized roll angle VGs); and (d) 3RWP-inline array(alternating tube row with all VGs having optimized roll angle). It was found that the inward roll of VGs increased the heat transfer from the immediately downstream tube but reduced heat transfer enhancement capability of other VG pairs downstream. Further, four different hybrid configurations of VGs were analyzed and the optimum configuration was obtained. For the optimized hybrid configuration at Re = 670, RWP with optimized roll angle increased heat transfer by 17.5% from the tube it was installed on and by 42% from the immediately downstream tube. Increase in j/ƒ of 36.7% is obtained by use of hybrid VGs in the optimized hybrid configuration. The deductions from the current study are supposed to well enhance the performance of heat exchangers with different design configurations.

A Numerical Study of Flow and Heat Transfer Enhancement Using an Array of Delta-Winglet Vortex Generators in a Fin-and-Tube Heat Exchanger

2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (9) ◽  
pp. 1156-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Joardar ◽  
A. M. Jacobi
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Heat Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Vortex Generators ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Local Flow ◽  
Tube Heat Exchanger

This work is aimed at assessing the potential of winglet-type vortex generator (VG) “arrays” for multirow inline-tube heat exchangers with an emphasis on providing fundamental understanding of the relation between local flow behavior and heat transfer enhancement mechanisms. Three different winglet configurations in common-flow-up arrangement are analyzed in the seven-row compact fin-and-tube heat exchanger: (a) single–VG pair; (b) a 3VG-inline array (alternating tube row); and (c) a 3VG-staggered array. The numerical study involves three-dimensional time-dependent modeling of unsteady laminar flow (330⩽Re⩽850) and conjugate heat transfer in the computational domain, which is set up to model the entire fin length in the air flow direction. It was found that the impingement of winglet redirected flow on the downstream tube is an important heat transfer augmentation mechanism for the common-flow-up arrangement of vortex generators in the inline-tube geometry. At Re=850 with a constant tube-wall temperature, the 3VG-inline-array configuration achieves enhancements up to 32% in total heat flux and 74% in j factor over the baseline case, with an associated pressure-drop increase of about 41%. The numerical results for the integral heat transfer quantities agree well with the available experimental measurements.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Heat Transfer and Flow Friction in Channels With Dimples of Different Shapes

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Rao ◽  
Yan Feng ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
Bernhard Weigand
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Flow Structure ◽  
Channel Flow ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Rectangular Channel ◽  
Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Number Range ◽  
Flow Friction ◽  
Different Shapes

An experimental and numerical study was conducted to investigate the effects of dimple shapes on the heat transfer and flow friction of a turbulent flow over dimpled surfaces with different dimple shapes: spherical, teardrop, elliptical, and inclined elliptical. These dimples all have the same depth. The heat transfer, friction factor, and flow structure characteristics in the cooling channels with dimples of different shapes have been obtained and compared with each other for a Reynolds number range of 8500–60,000. The study showed that the dimple shape can have distinctive effects on the heat transfer and flow structure in the dimpled channels. The teardrop dimples show the highest heat transfer, which is about 18% higher than the conventional spherical dimples; and the elliptical dimples have the lowest heat transfer, which is about 10% lower than the spherical dimples; and however the inclined elliptical dimples have comparable heat transfer and pressure loss performance with the spherical dimples. The experiments still showed the realistic heat transfer enhancement capabilities of the dimpled channels relative to a smooth rectangular channel flow under the same flow and thermal boundary conditions, even after considering the thermal entrance effects in the channel flow and the enlarged heat transfer (wetted) area due to the dimpled surface. The three-dimensional numerical computations showed different vortex flow structures and detailed heat transfer characteristics of the dimples with different shapes, which revealed the influential mechanisms of differently shaped dimples on the convective heat transfer enhancement.

Numerical study on heat transfer enhancement in capsule-type plate heat exchangers

2016 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 1237-1242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanfeng Zhang ◽  
Chen Jiang ◽  
Zonglin Yang ◽  
Yiyuan Zhang ◽  
Bofeng Bai
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Plate Heat ◽  
Capsule Type
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