The Impact of Base Metal on the Thermal-Hydraulic Performance of Metal Foam Heat Exchanger for Cooling and Dehumidification Applications

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kashif Nawaz ◽  
Anthony M. Jacobi
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Base Metal ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Transfer Rate ◽  
Metal Foam ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Copper Metal ◽  
The Impact

In the wake of utilization of novel materials in various thermal applications open cell metal foams have received attention due to their inherent properties such as large surface area to volume ratio and higher thermal conductivity. Additionally, complex tetradecahedron structure promotes mixing and makes them a good candidate for heat transfer applications. In this paper, a relative comparison has been made between the thermal-hydraulic performance of aluminum and copper metal foam heat exchangers with the same geometry under dry and wet operating conditions. Heat exchanger consisting of round tube with annular layer of metal foam have been considered. Experiments have been conducted using a closed-loop wind tunnel to measure the heat transfer performance and pressure drop. The impact of base metal (aluminum and copper) on the heat transfer rate has been evaluated at varying air flow rates and upstream relative humidity. It has been found that due to similar geometry (flow depth, face area, pore size) both aluminum and copper foam samples have comparable pressure drop under dry conditions. However, the pressure gradient was noticeably different for two samples under wet operating conditions. An obvious difference in heat transfer rate for aluminum and copper metal foam heat exchangers was observed under both dry and wet operating conditions. The findings have been explained in terms of the impact of the thermal conductivity of base metal and condensate retention.

Optimal distribution of metal foam inserts in a double-pipe heat exchanger

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1322-3142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Arasteh ◽  
Mohammad Reza Salimpour ◽  
Mohammad Reza Tavakoli
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Heat Transfer Rate ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Transfer Rate ◽  
Metal Foam ◽  
Metal Foams ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Double Pipe

PurposeIn the present research, a numerical investigation is carried out to study the fluid flow and heat transfer in a double-pipe, counter-flow heat exchanger exploiting metal foam inserts partially in both pipes. The purpose of this study is to achieve the optimal distribution of a fixed volume of metal foam throughout the pipes which provides the maximum heat transfer rate with the minimum pressure drop increase.Design/methodology/approachThe governing equations are solved using the finite volume method. The metal foams are divided into different number of parts and positioned at different locations. The number of metal foam parts, their placements and their volume ratios in each pipe are sought to reach the optimal conditions. The four-piece metal foam with optimized placement and partitioning volume ratios is selected as the best layout. The effects of the permeability of metal foam on the Nusselt number, the performance evaluation criteria (PEC) and the overall heat transfer coefficient are investigated.FindingsIt was observed that the heat transfer rate, the overall heat transfer coefficient and the effectiveness of the heat exchanger can be improved as high as 69, 124 and 9 per cent, respectively, while the highest value of PEC is 1.36.Practical implicationsPorous materials are widely used in thermo-fluid systems such as regenerators, heat sinks, solar collectors and heat exchangers.Originality/valueHaving less pressure drop than fully filled heat exchangers, partially filled heat exchangers with partitioned metal foams distributed optimally enhance heat transfer rate more economically.

A comprehensive survey on utilization of hybrid nanofluid in plate heat exchanger with various number of plates

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faraz Afshari ◽  
Azim Doğuş Tuncer ◽  
Adnan Sözen ◽  
Halil Ibrahim Variyenli ◽  
Ataollah Khanlari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Plate Heat Exchanger ◽  
Single Type ◽  
Hybrid Nanofluid ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Plate Heat ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Using suspended nanoparticles in the base fluid is known as one of the most efficient ways for heat transfer augmentation and improving the thermal efficiency of various heat exchangers. Different types of nanofluids are available and used in different applications. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of using hybrid nanofluid and number of plates on the performance of plate heat exchanger. In this study, TiO2/water single nanofluid and TiO2-Al2O3/water hybrid nanofluid with 1% particle weight ratio have been used to prepare hybrid nanofluid to use in plate type heat exchangers with three various number of plates including 8, 12 and 16. Design/methodology/approach The experiments have been conducted with the aim of examining the impact of plates number and used nanofluids on heat transfer enhancement. The performance tests have been done at 40°C, 45°C, 50°C and 55°C set outlet temperatures and in five various Reynolds numbers between 1,600 and 3,800. Also, numerical simulation has been applied to verify the heat and flow behavior inside the heat exchangers. Findings The results indicated that using both nanofluids raised the thermal performance of all tested exchangers which have a various number of plates. While the major outcomes of this study showed that TiO2-Al2O3/water hybrid nanofluid has priority when compared to TiO2/water single type nanofluid. Utilization of TiO2-Al2O3/water nanofluid led to obtaining an average improvement of 7.5%, 9.6% and 12.3% in heat transfer of heat exchangers with 8, 12 and 16 plates, respectively. Originality/value In the present work, experimental and numerical analyzes have been conducted to investigate the influence of using TiO2-Al2O3/water hybrid nanofluid in various plate heat exchangers. The attained findings showed successful utilization of TiO2-Al2O3/water nanofluid. Based on the obtained results increasing the number of plates in the heat exchanger caused to obtain more increment by using both types of nanofluids.

Binary Particle Mixtures as a Heat Transfer Media in Shell-and-Plate Moving Packed Bed Heat Exchangers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chase Ellsworth Christen
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Particle Size ◽  
Heat Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Packed Bed ◽  
Particle Sizes ◽  
Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Solid Media

Solid particles are being considered in several high temperature thermal energy storage systems and as heat transfer media in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. The downside of such an approach is the low overall heat transfer coefficients in shell-and-plate moving packed bed heat exchangers caused by the inherently low packed bed thermal conductivity values of the low-cost solid media. Choosing the right particle size distribution of currently available solid media can make a substantial difference in packed bed thermal conductivity, and thus, a substantial difference in the overall heat transfer coefficient of shell-and-plate moving packed bed heat exchangers. Current research exclusively focuses on continuous unimodal distributions of alumina particles. The drawback of this approach is that larger particle sizes require wider particle channels to meet flowability requirements. As a result, only small particle sizes with low packed bed thermal conductivities have been considered for the use in the falling-particle Gen3 CSP concepts. Here, binary particle mixtures, which are defined in this thesis as a mixture of two continuous unimodal particle distributions leading to a continuous bimodal particle distribution, are considered to increase packed bed thermal conductivity, decrease packed bed porosity, and improve moving packed bed heat exchanger performance. This is the first study related to CSP solid particle heat transfer that has considered the packed bed thermal conductivity and moving packed bed heat exchanger performance of bimodal particle size distributions at room and elevated temperatures. Considering binary particle mixtures that meet particle sifting segregation criteria, the overall heat transfer coefficient of shell-and-plate moving packed bed heat exchangers can be increased by 23% when compared to a monodisperse particle system. This work demonstrates that binary particle mixtures should be seriously considered to improve shell-and-plate moving packed bed heat exchangers.

The Effect of Geometrical Features on Air-Side Heat Transfer and Friction Characteristics, and Optimization of a Large-Size Plain Fin-and-Tube Heat Exchanger by 3-D Numerical Simulation

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Izadi ◽  
D. K. Aidun ◽  
P. Marzocca ◽  
H. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Numerical Modeling ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Simple Algorithm ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Friction Characteristics ◽  
Tube Heat Exchanger ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Geometrical Features

The effect of geometrical features on the air-side heat transfer and friction characteristics of an industrial plain fin-and-tube heat exchanger is investigated by 3-D numerical modeling and simulations. The heat exchanger has been designed and employed as an intercooler in a gas power plant and is a large-size compact heat exchanger. Most of the available design correlations developed so far for plain fin–and–tube heat exchangers have been prepared for small-size exchangers and none of them fits completely to the current heat exchanger regarding the geometrical limitations of correlations. It is shown that neglecting these limitations and applying improper correlations may generate considerable amount of error in the design of such a large-size heat exchanger. The geometry required for numerical modeling is produced by Gambit® software and the boundary conditions are defined regarding the real operating conditions. Then, three-dimensional simulations based on the SIMPLE algorithm in laminar flow regime are performed by FLUENT™ code. The effect of fin pitch, tube pitch, and tube diameter on the thermo-hydraulic behavior of the heat exchanger is studied. Some variations in the design of the heat exchanger are suggested for optimization purposes. It is finally concluded that the current numerical model is a powerful tool to design and optimize of large-size plain fin-and-tube heat exchangers with acceptable accuracy.

Thermal–Hydraulic Performance Analysis of a Convergent Double Pipe Heat Exchanger

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed T. Al-Sammarraie ◽  
Kambiz Vafai
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Hydraulic Performance ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Contraction Ratio ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Prandtl Numbers ◽  
Double Pipe ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pipe Heat

The present investigation proposes an innovative convergent double pipe heat exchanger (C-DPHE). A two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric heat transfer model with counterflow is employed to analyze the thermal and hydraulic performance of this configuration numerically. The impact of convergence in the flow direction, using a wide range of contraction ratio (Cr), is explored. The effect of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers on the flow and heat transfer is addressed, as well. The model results were validated with available data from the literature, and an excellent agreement has been confirmed. In general, the findings of the present study indicate that increasing the contraction ratio increases heat transfer and pressure drop in the C-DPHE. Moreover, this configuration has a prominent and sustainable performance, compared to a conventional double pipe heat exchanger (DPHE), with an enhancement in heat transfer rate up to 32% and performance factor (PF) higher than one. Another appealing merit for the C-DPHE is that it is quite effective and functional at low Reynolds and high Prandtl numbers, respectively, since no high-operating pumping power is required. Further, the optimal operating conditions can be established utilizing the comprehensive information provided in this work.

Thermal Assessment of Forced Convection Through Metal Foam Heat Exchangers

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Tamayol ◽  
K. Hooman
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Resistance ◽  
Forced Convection ◽  
Heat Transfer Rate ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Transfer Rate ◽  
Metal Foam ◽  
Convection Heat Transfer ◽  
Geometrical Parameters ◽  
Convection Heat

Using a thermal resistance approach, forced convection heat transfer through metal foam heat exchangers is studied theoretically. The complex microstructure of metal foams is modeled as a matrix of interconnected solid ligaments forming simple cubic arrays of cylinders. The geometrical parameters are evaluated from existing correlations in the literature with the exception of ligament diameter which is calculated from a compact relationship offered in the present study. The proposed, simple but accurate, thermal resistance model considers: the conduction inside the solid ligaments, the interfacial convection heat transfer, and convection heat transfer to (or from) the solid bounding walls. The present model makes it possible to conduct a parametric study. Based on the generated results, it is observed that the heat transfer rate from the heated plate has a direct relationship with the foam pore per inch (PPI) and solidity. Furthermore, it is noted that increasing the height of the metal foam layer augments the overall heat transfer rate; however, the increment is not linear. Results obtained from the proposed model were successfully compared with experimental data found in the literature for rectangular and tubular metal foam heat exchangers.

Performance Evaluation of Tube-in-Tube Heat Exchanger Using Nanofluids

2015 ◽  
Vol 787 ◽  
pp. 72-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Naveen Prabhu ◽  
M. Suresh
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Heat Transfer Rate ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Transfer Rate ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Tube Heat Exchanger

Nanofluids are fluids containing nanometer-sized particles of metals, oxides, carbides, nitrides, or nanotubes. They exhibit enhanced thermal performance when used in a heat exchanger as heat transfer fluids. Alumina (Al2O3) is the most commonly used nanoparticle due to its enhanced thermal conductivity. The work presented here, deals with numerical simulations performed in a tube-in-tube heat exchanger to study and compare flow characteristics and thermal performance of a tube-in-tube heat exchanger using water and Al2O3/water nanofluid. A local element-by-element analysis utilizing e-NTU method is employed for simulating the heat exchanger. Profiles of hot and cooling fluid temperatures, pressure drop, heat transfer rate along the length of the heat exchanger are studied. Results show that heat exchanger with nanofluid gives improved heat transfer rate when compared with water. However, the pressure drop is more, which puts a limit on the operating conditions.

Novel Evaporator Geometries Based on Entrance-Length Flow-Paths for Geothermal Binary Power Plants

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian S. Sabau ◽  
Ali H. Nejad ◽  
James W. Klett ◽  
Adrian Bejan ◽  
Kivanc Ekici
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cost Model ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Length Scale ◽  
Entrance Length ◽  
Scale Levels

In this paper, a novel geometry is proposed for evaporators that are used in Organic Rankine Cycles. The proposed geometry consists of employing successive plenums at several length-scale levels, creating a multi-scale heat exchanger. The channels at the lowest length-scale levels were considered to have their length given by the thermal entrance-length. Numerical simulations based on turbulent flow correlations for supercritical R134a and water were used to obtain performance indicators for new heat exchangers and baseline heat exchangers. The relationship between the size of the channels at one level, k, with respect to the size of the channels at the next level, k + 1, is based on generalization of the “Murray’s law.” In order to account for the variation of the temperature and heat transfer coefficient in the entrance region, a heat transfer model was developed. The variation of the brine and refrigerant temperatures along each pipe was considered. Using the data on pumping power and weight of metal structures, including that of all the plenums and piping, the total present cost was evaluated using a cost model for shell-and-tube heat exchangers. In addition to the total present cost, the data on overall thermal resistance is also used in identifying optimal heat exchanger configurations. The main design variables include: tube arrangement, number of channels fed from plenum, and number of rows in the tube bank seen by the outside fluid. In order to assess the potential improvement of the new evaporator designs, baseline evaporators were designed. The baseline evaporator designs include long tubes of the same diameter as those of the lowest length-scale levels, placed between one inlet and one outlet. The baseline evaporator designs were created from the new evaporator designs by simply removing most of the internal plenums employing tubes much longer than their entrance length, as they would currently be used. Consistent with geothermal applications, the performance of new heat exchanger designs was compared to that of baseline heat exchanger designs at the same flow rates. For some operating conditions it was found that the new heat exchangers outperform their corresponding baseline heat exchangers.

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