Significance of Delta Winglets on the Air Side Performance of Flat Finned Versus Wavy Finned-Tube Heat Exchangers

Author(s):  
Tariq Amin Khan ◽  
Nasir Mehdi Gardezi ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Yang Zhou ◽  
Zahid Ayub

Abstract The performance on the air side flow is often limited due to its lower heat transfer coefficient. This work is related to numerical simulation to study the significance of employing delta winglets in flat finned and wavy finned-tube heat exchangers. For this purpose, three-dimensional simulation data and a multi-objective genetic algorithm are employed. The angle of attack (α) of delta winglets and Reynolds number varied from 15° to 75° and 500 to 1300, respectively. Employing delta winglets has increased the heat transfer per unit temperature and per unit volume (Z) and the fan power per unit core volume (E) for both flat finned and wavy finned-tube heat exchangers. To achieve a maximum heat transfer enhancement and a minimum friction factor, the optimal values of these parameters (Re and α) are calculated using the Pareto optimal strategy. For this purpose, CFD data, a surrogate model (neural network) and a multi-objective optimization genetic algorithm are combined. Results show that the performance of wavy finned-tube heat exchangers is higher than flat-finned tube heat exchangers which signify the importance of delta winglets in the wavy finned-tube heat exchangers.

Author(s):  
Limin Wang ◽  
Yufan Bu ◽  
Xun Chen ◽  
Xiaoyang Wei ◽  
Dechao Li ◽  
...  

In previous references, no study has been done on the optimization of rotary regenerative air preheaters (RAPHs) used in coal-fired power plants yet. The key structure parameters of RAPH include rotor radius, fluid section angles and matrix layer heights. In this study, work on the multi-objective design optimization of an RAPH was conducted by combing the thermal hydraulic calculation program which is developed to calculate the temperature and the pressure drop and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). The maximum heat transfer rate and the minimum friction, namely minimum outlet gas temperature and pressure drop, are considered as the conflicting objectives in the multi-optimization. The layer heights, rotor radius, angles of fluid sections and heights of matrix layers are involved in the design variables in the optimization. The optimization includes three cases in which the rotor radius upper limits are 7 m, 8 m and 9 m respectively. Sets of the Pareto-optimal front points were obtained for the different cases. The obtained optimal air-preheaters with larger upper limit of rotor radius would have better Pareto results. The optimum rotor radius is the upper limit value for different design range of rotor radius. The air-preheaters with larger upper design limit of rotor radius would have better Pareto results. In other words, if the upper design limit of rotor radius is too small, all the Pareto points in this case could not satisfy the performance requirements of heat transfer and friction, and the only way is to increase the upper design limit of rotor radius. The ratio of each optimum fluid section angle is determined by the fluid flow rate of each section.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2069
Author(s):  
Eloy Hontoria ◽  
Alejandro López-Belchí ◽  
Nolberto Munier ◽  
Francisco Vera-García

This paper proposes a methodology aiming at determining the most influent working variables and geometrical parameters over the pressure drop and heat transfer during the condensation process of several refrigerant gases using heat exchangers with pipes mini channels technology. A multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methodology was used; this MCDM includes a mathematical method called SIMUS (Sequential Interactive Modelling for Urban Systems) that was applied to the results of 2543 tests obtained by using a designed refrigeration rig in which five different refrigerants (R32, R134a, R290, R410A and R1234yf) and two different tube geometries were tested. This methodology allows us to reduce the computational cost compared to the use of neural networks or other model development systems. This research shows six variables out of 39 that better define simultaneously the minimum pressure drop, as well as the maximum heat transfer, saturation pressure fluid entering the condenser being the most important one. Another aim of this research was to highlight a new methodology based on operation research for their application to improve the heat transfer energy efficiency and reduce the CO2 footprint derived of the use of heat exchangers with minichannels.


Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Chao Yu ◽  
Xiangyao Xue ◽  
Kui Shi ◽  
Mingzhen Shao

This paper presents a method for optimizing wavy plate-fin heat exchangers accurately and efficiently. It combines CFD simulation, Radical Basis Functions (RBF) with multi-objective optimization to improve the performance. The optimization of the Colburn factor j and the friction coefficient f is regarded as a multi-objective optimization problem, due to the existence of two contradictory goals. The approximation model was obtained by Radical Basis Functions, and the shape of the heat exchanger was optimized by multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA). The optimization results showed that j increased by 17.62% and f decreased by 20.76%, indicating that the heat exchange efficiency was significantly enhanced and the fluid structure resistance reduced. Then, from the aspects of field synergy and tubulence energy, the performance advantage of the optimized structure was further confirmed.


2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. K. Tafti

The paper describes two- and three-dimensional computer simulations which are used to study fundamental flow and thermal phenomena in multilouvered fins used for air-side heat transfer enhancement in compact heat exchangers. Results pertaining to flow transition, thermal wake interference, and fintube junction effects are presented. It is shown that a Reynolds number based on flow path rather than louver pitch is more appropriate in defining the onset of transition, and characteristic frequencies in the louver bank scale better with a global length scale such as fin pitch than with louver pitch or thickness. With the aid of computer experiments, the effect of thermal wakes is quantified on the heat capacity of the fin as well as the heat transfer coefficient, and it is established that experiments which neglect accounting for thermal wakes can introduce large errors in the measurement of heat transfer coefficients. Further, it is shown that the geometry of the louver in the vicinity of the tube surface has a large effect on tube heat transfer and can have a substantial impact on the overall heat capacity.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 65 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Matos ◽  
T. A. Laursen ◽  
J. V. C. Vargas ◽  
A. Bejan

This work presents a three-dimensional (3-D) numerical and experimental geometric optimization study to maximize the total heat transfer rate between a bundle of finned tubes in a given volume and a given external flow both for circular and elliptic arrangements, for general staggered configurations. The optimization procedure started by recognizing the design limited space availability as a fixed volume constraint. The experimental results were obtained for circular and elliptic configurations with a fixed number of tubes (12), starting with an equilateral triangle configuration, which fitted uniformly into the fixed volume with a resulting maximum dimensionless tube-to-tube spacing S/2b = 1.5, where S is the actual spacing and b is the smaller ellipse semi-axis. Several experimental configurations were built by reducing the tube-to-tube spacings, identifying the optimal spacing for maximum heat transfer. Similarly, it was possible to investigate the existence of optima with respect to other two geometric degrees of freedom, i.e., tube eccentricity and fin-to-fin spacing. The results are reported for air as the external fluid in the laminar regime, for 125 and 100 Re 2b , where 2b is the ellipses smaller axis length. Circular and elliptic arrangements with the same flow obstruction cross-sectional area were compared on the basis of maximum total heat transfer. This criterion allows one to quantify the heat transfer gain in the most isolated way possible, by studying arrangements with equivalent total pressure drops independently of the tube cross section shape. This paper reports three-dimensional (3- D) numerical optimization results for finned circular and elliptic tubes arrangements, which are validated by direct comparison with experimental measurements with good agreement. Global optima with respect to tube-to-tube spacing, eccentricity and fin-tofin spacing ( 0.5 e 0.5, S/2b and 06 . 0 f for 125 and 100 Re 2b , respectively) were found and reported in general dimensionless variables. A relative heat transfer gain of up to 19% is observed in the optimal elliptic arrangement, as compared to the optimal circular one. The heat transfer gain, combined with the relative material mass reduction of up to 32% observed in the optimal elliptic arrangement in comparison to the circular one, show the elliptical arrangement has the potential for a considerably better overall performance and lower cost than the traditional circular geometry.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1978-1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kailash Mohapatra ◽  
Dipti Prasad Mishra

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of an internally finned tube for different flow conditions. Design/methodology/approach – Numerical investigation have been performed by solving the conservation equations of mass, momentum, energy with two equation-based k-eps model to determine the wall temperature, outlet temperature and Nusselt number of an internally finned tube. Findings – It has been found from the numerically investigation that there exists an optimum fin height and fin number for maximum heat transfer. It was also found that the heat transfer in T-shaped fin was highest compared to other shape. The saw type fins had a higher heat transfer rate compared to the plane rectangular fins having same surface area and the heat transfer rate was increasing with teeth number. Keeping the surface area constant, the shape of the duct was changed from cylindrical to other shape and it was found that the heat transfer was highest for frustum shape compared to other shape. Practical implications – The present computations could be used to predict the heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of an internal finned tube specifically used in chemical and power plants. Originality/value – The original contribution of the paper was in the use of the two equation-based k-eps turbulent model to predict the maximum heat transfer through optimum design of fins and duct.


The configuration of a liquid film retained by surface tension forces on horizontal low-finned tubes has been analysed. It has been shown that liquid is retained on the upper parts of the tube surface previously regarded as 'unflooded'. The meniscus in a radial plane has been shown to approximate to a circular arc, with radius dependent only on the distance from the bottom of the tube, fluid properties and gravity. Four ‘flooding’ conditions are identified for trapezoidal-section fins and the positions around a tube at which these occur have been determined. Experimental measurements, for condensation of three fluids on tubes with rectangular-section fins, suggest that maximum heat-transfer en­hancement occurs when the spacing between the fins (the only geometric variable in these tests) is such as to maximize the ‘unblanked’ (by retained liquid under static conditions) finned tube surface area. The ‘unblanked’ or ‘active’ area is increased by using a radiused fillet at the fin root rather than a sharp corner. This might also be expected to give a corresponding increase in heat-transfer enhancement during condensation.


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