scholarly journals Thermal Calculations of Four-Row Plate-Fin and Tube Heat Exchanger Taking into Account Different Air-Side Correlations on Individual Rows of Tubes for Low Reynold Numbers

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (21) ◽  
pp. 6978
Author(s):  
Mateusz Marcinkowski ◽  
Dawid Taler ◽  
Jan Taler ◽  
Katarzyna Węglarz

Currently, when designing plate-fin and tube heat exchangers, only the average value of the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) is considered. However, each row of the heat exchanger (HEX) has different hydraulic–thermal characteristics. When the air velocity upstream of the HEX is lower than approximately 3 m/s, the exchanged heat flow rates at the first rows of tubes are higher than the average value for the entire HEX. The heat flow rate transferred in the first rows of tubes can reach up to 65% of the heat output of the entire exchanger. This article presents the method of determination of the individual correlations for the air-side Nusselt numbers on each row of tubes for a four-row finned HEX with continuous flat fins and round tubes in a staggered tube layout. The method was built based on CFD modelling using the numerical model of the designed HEX. Mass average temperatures for each row were simulated for over a dozen different airflow velocities from 0.3 m/s to 2.5 m/s. The correlations for the air-side Nusselt number on individual rows of tubes were determined using the least-squares method with a 95% confidence interval. The obtained correlations for the air-side Nusselt number on individual rows of tubes will enable the selection of the optimum number of tube rows for a given heat output of the HEX. The investment costs of the HEX can be reduced by decreasing the tube row number. Moreover, the operating costs of the HEX can also be lowered, as the air pressure losses on the HEX will be lower, which in turn enables the reduction in the air fan power.

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3399
Author(s):  
Dawid Taler ◽  
Jan Taler ◽  
Marcin Trojan

The paper presents an analytical mathematical model of a car radiator, which takes into account various heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) on each row of pipes. The air-side HTCs in a specific row of pipes in the first and second passes were calculated using equations for the Nusselt number, which were determined by CFD simulation by the ANSYS program (Version 19.1, Ansys Inc., Canonsburg, PA, USA). The liquid flow in the pipes can be laminar, transition, or turbulent. When changing the flow form from laminar to transition and from transition to turbulent, the HTC continuity is maintained. Mathematical models of two radiators were developed, one of which was made of round tubes and the other of oval tubes. The model allows for the calculation of the thermal output of every row of pipes in both passes of the heat exchangers. Small relative differences between the total heat flow transferred in the heat exchanger from hot water to cool air exist for different and uniform HTCs. However, the heat flow rate in the first row is much higher than the heat flow in the second row if the air-side HTCs are different for each row compared to a situation where the HTC is constant throughout the heat exchanger. The thermal capacities of both radiators calculated using the developed mathematical model were compared with the results of experimental studies. The plate-fin and tube heat exchanger (PFTHE) modeling procedure developed in the article does not require the use of empirical correlations to calculate HTCs on both sides of the pipes. The suggested method of calculating plate-fin and tube heat exchangers, taking into account the different air-side HTCs estimated using CFD modelling, may significantly reduce the cost of experimental research for a new design of heat exchangers implemented in manufacturing.


2018 ◽  
Vol 240 ◽  
pp. 02012
Author(s):  
Dawid Taler

Some air-cooled heat exchangers, especially in air conditioning and heating installations, heat pumps, as well as car radiators, work in a wide range of loads when the liquid flow in the tubes can be laminar, transitional or turbulent. In this paper, a semi-empirical and empirical relationship for the Nusselt number on the liquid-side in the transitional and turbulent range was derived. The friction factor in the transition flow range Rew,trb ≤ Rew ≤ Rew,tre was calculated by linear interpolation between the values of the friction factor for Rew,trb =2,100 and Rew,tre =3,000. Based on experimental data for a car radiator, empirical heat transfer relationships for the air and water-side were found by using the least squares method. The water temperature at the outlet of the heat exchanger was calculated using P-NTU (effectiveness-number of transfer units) method. The heat flow rate from water to air was calculated as a function of the water flow rate to compare it with the experimental results. The theoretical and empirical correlation for the water-side Nusselt number developed in the paper were used when determining the heat flow rate. The calculation results agree very well with the results of the measurements.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 2935-2951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Sobota

Purpose The knowledge of the heat transfer coefficient is important for the proper design of heat exchangers as well as for the determination of the working medium outlet temperatures. This paper aims to present a method of simultaneous determination of coefficients in correlation formulas for the Nusselt number on both sides of the heat transfer surface. Design/methodology/approach The idea of the developed method is based on determining such a values of the coefficients in Nusselt number correlations that fulfill the condition of equality between the measured and calculated temperature at the outlet of heat exchanger in terms of least squares method. To test the proposed method, a special experimental installation was built. The heat transfer in helically coiled tube-in-tube heat exchanger was examined for the wide range of temperature changes and volumetric flow rates of working fluid. Findings The simulation results were validated with an experimental data. The results show that the heat transfer coefficient of the counter-current is higher than the co-current flow in helically coiled heat exchanger. This phenomenon can be beneficial particularly in the laminar flow regime. Research limitations/implications The correlation for the Nusselt number as a function of the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers for hot and cold liquid was obtained with the least squares method for the experimental data. Practical implications The presented method allows for the simultaneous determination of heat transfer coefficient on both sides of the wall without the necessity of indirect calculation of the overall heat transfer coefficient. The presented method can be used in the thermal design of various type heat exchangers. Originality/value This work presents the new methodology of determination correlations for the helically coiled tube-in-tube heat exchanger for co-current and counter-current arrangement, which can be used in thermal design.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (01) ◽  
pp. 1650002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Diani ◽  
Luisa Rossetto ◽  
Roberto Dall’Olio ◽  
Daniele De Zen ◽  
Filippo Masetto

Cross flow heat exchangers, when applied to cool data center rooms, use external air (process air) to cool the air stream coming from the data center room (primary air). However, an air–air heat exchanger is not enough to cope with extreme high heat loads in critical conditions (high external temperature). Therefore, water can be sprayed in the process air to increase the heat dissipation capability (wet mode). Water evaporates, and the heat flow rate is transferred to the process air as sensible and latent heat. This paper proposes an analytical approach to predict the behavior of a cross flow heat exchanger in wet mode. The theoretical results are then compared to experimental tests carried out on a real machine in wet mode conditions. Comparisons are given in terms of calculated versus experimental heat flow rate and evaporated water mass flow rate, showing a good match between theoretical and experimental values.


2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-305
Author(s):  
Jan Novotný ◽  
Jiří Nožička

The aim of this paper is to present a design and a development of a heat simulator, which will be used for a flow research in data centers. The designed heat simulator is based on an ideological basis of four-processor 1U Supermicro server. The designed heat simulator enables to control the flow and heat output within the range of 10–100 %. The paper covers also the results of testing measurements of mass flow rates and heat flow rates in the simulator. The flow field at the outlet of the server was measured by the stereo PIV method. The heat flow rate was determined, based on measuring the temperature field at the inlet and outlet of the simulator and known mass flow rate.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amarjit Singh ◽  
Satbir S. Sehgal

In this study, the experimental analysis was performed on the shell-and-tube type heat exchanger containing segmental baffles at different orientations. In the current work, three angular orientations (θ) 0°, 30°, and 60° of the baffles were analyzed for laminar flow having the Reynolds number range 303–1516. It was observed that, with increase of Reynolds number from 303 to 1516, there was a 94.8% increase in Nusselt number and 282.9% increase in pressure drop. Due to increase of Reynolds number from 303 to 1516, there is a decrease in nondimensional temperature factor for cold water (ω) by 57.7% and hot water (ξ) by 57.1%, respectively.


2012 ◽  
Vol 557-559 ◽  
pp. 2141-2146
Author(s):  
Yong Hua You ◽  
Ai Wu Fan ◽  
Chen Chen ◽  
Shun Li Fang ◽  
Shi Ping Jin ◽  
...  

Trefoil-hole baffles have good thermo-hydraulic performances as the support of heat pipes, however the published research paper is relatively limited. The present paper investigates the shellside thermo-hydraulic characteristics of shell-and-tube heat exchanger with trefoil-hole baffles (THB-STHX) under turbulent flow region, and the variations of shellside Nusselt number, pressure loss and overall thermo-hydraulic performance (PEC) with Reynolds number are obtained for baffles of varied pitch with the numerical method. CFD results demonstrate that the trefoil-hole baffle could enhance the heat transfer rate of shell side effectively, and the maximal average Nusselt number is augmented by ~2.3 times that of no baffle, while average pressure loss increases by ~9.6 times. The PEC value of shell side lies in the range of 16.3 and 73.8 kPa-1, and drops with the increment of Reynolds number and the decrement of baffle pitch, which indicates that the heat exchanger with trefoil-hole baffles of larger pitch could generate better overall performance at low Reynolds number. Moreover, the contours of velocity, turbulent intensity and temperature are presented for discussions. It is found that shellside high-speed jet, intensive recirculation flow and high turbulence level could enhance the heat transfer rate effectively. Besides good performance, THB-STHXs are easily manufactured, thus promise widely applied in various industries.


2019 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 04001
Author(s):  
Dawid Taler ◽  
Jan Taler ◽  
Katarzyna Wrona

Experimental studies of multi-row plate-fin heat exchangers show that the highest average heat transfer coefficient on the air side occurs in the first row of tubes when the air velocity in front ofthe exchanger is less thanapproximately 3.5 m/s. In the subsequent rows of tubes up to about the fourth row the heat transfer coefficient decreases. In the fifth and further rows, it can be assumed that the heat transfer coefficient is equal in each tube row. It is necessary to find the relationships fortheair–side Nusselt number on each tube row to design a plate–fin and tube heat exchanger(PFTHE) with the appropriate number of tube rows. The air–side Nusselt number correlations canbe determined experimentally or by CFD modeling (Computational and Fluid Dynamics). The paper presents a newmathematical model of the transient operation of PFTHE, considering that the Nusselt numbers on the air side of individual tube rows are different. The heat transfer coefficient on an analyzed tube row was determined from the equality condition of mass– average air temperature differences on agiven tube row determined using the analytical formula and CFD modeling. The results of numerical modelingwere compared with the results of the experiments.


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