Thermal and Hydraulic Analysis of the Wavy-Fins-Plate Compact Heat Exchangers

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, I.R. IRAN

2 Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, I.R. IRAN

Abstract

Thermo-hydraulic analysis of compact heat exchangers is strongly depended on the performance of  heat transfer surfaces. This is evaluated by Colburn and Fanning friction factors versus Reynolds number. In this paper, CFD analysis is carried on with 18 different type of wavy fins geometries. The effects of the four geometrical factors of fin; height, fin spacing, wave amplitude, wavelength over a wide range of Reynolds number  are investigated. Then a parametric study for two enhanced designs C-shaped and S-shaped sinusoidal wavy offset-strip fins is conducted. Those four geometrical factors described the wavy channel and combined and related by the parameters α, β and γ which represent the dimensionless geometrical parameters. The numerical computations are performed by solving a steady, three dimensional Navier-Stokes equation and energy equation using Ansys Fluent 15.0 software program. Air is considered as working fluid. The computational results have an adequate accuracy when compared to experimental data. The CFD simulation results reveal that the geometrical parameters of wavy fins have significant effects on the j and f factors as a function of Reynolds number.

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References

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