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

Author(s):  
Ya-Ling He ◽  
Pan Chu ◽  
Wen-Quan Tao

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.

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Chu ◽  
Y. L. He ◽  
W. Q. Tao

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.


2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (9) ◽  
pp. 1156-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Joardar ◽  
A. M. Jacobi

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.


Author(s):  
Michael Maurer ◽  
Jens von Wolfersdorf ◽  
Michael Gritsch

An experimental and numerical study was conducted to determine the thermal performance of V-shaped ribs in a rectangular channel with an aspect ratio of 2:1. Local heat transfer coefficients were measured using the steady state thermochromic liquid crystal technique. Periodic pressure losses were obtained with pressure taps along the smooth channel sidewall. Reynolds numbers from 95,000 to 500,000 were investigated with V-shaped ribs located on one side or on both sides of the test channel. The rib height-to-hydraulic diameter ratios (e/Dh) were 0.0625 and 0.02, and the rib pitch-to-height ratio (P/e) was 10. In addition, all test cases were investigated numerically. The commercial software FLUENT™ was used with a two-layer k-ε turbulence model. Numerically and experimentally obtained data were compared. It was determined that the heat transfer enhancement based on the heat transfer of a smooth wall levels off for Reynolds numbers over 200,000. The introduction of a second ribbed sidewall slightly increased the heat transfer enhancement whereas the pressure penalty was approximately doubled. Diminishing the rib height at high Reynolds numbers had the disadvantage of a slightly decreased heat transfer enhancement, but benefits in a significantly reduced pressure loss. At high Reynolds numbers small-scale ribs in a one-sided ribbed channel were shown to have the best thermal performance.


Author(s):  
Shubham Agarwal ◽  
R. P. Sharma

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.


Author(s):  
Feng Zhang ◽  
Xinjun Wang ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Daren Zheng ◽  
Junfei Zhou

The present work represents a numerical study on the flow and heat transfer characteristics in rectangular channels with protrusion-grooved turbulators. The Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations, coupled with SST turbulence model, are adopted and solved. In this paper, six geometric protrusion shapes (circular, rectangular, triangular, trapezoidal, circular with leading round concave and circular with trailing round concave) are selected to perform the study. The flow structure, heat transfer enhancement, friction factor as well as thermal performance factor of the rectangular channel fitted with combined groove and different protrusions have been obtained at the Reynolds number ranging from 5000 to 20000. The results indicate that the protrusion shapes affect the velocity distribution near the groove surface. The case of circular protrusion with leading round concave provides the highest overall heat transfer enhancement, while it also causes the highest pressure loss penalty. The case of rectangular protrusion has the lowest overall heat transfer enhancement with high pressure loss penalty. The case of circular protrusion has similar overall heat transfer enhancement with cases of trapezoidal protrusion as well as circular protrusion with trailing round concave, but the pressure loss penalty of the case of circular protrusion is the lowest. In addition, the best overall thermal performance can be observed for circular protrusion-grooved channel.


2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Rao ◽  
Yan Feng ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
Bernhard Weigand

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.


2016 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 1237-1242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanfeng Zhang ◽  
Chen Jiang ◽  
Zonglin Yang ◽  
Yiyuan Zhang ◽  
Bofeng Bai

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