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Numerical analysis to predict the optimum configuration of fin and tube heat exchanger with rectangular vortex generators for enhanced thermohydraulic performance

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Abstract

The current numerical study has explored the effect of incorporation of rectangular winglets with circular, flat and oval tubes on the performance of compact heat exchangers. Rectangular winglet pairs are mounted behind the tubes at a span angle of 5° to obtain the enhanced performance. The obtained results show that fin and oval tube heat exchanger (FOTHE) having rectangular winglet pairs (RWPs) provides the higher thermal-hydraulic performance compared to the other configurations, on the basis of area goodness factor (j/f) and heat transfer rate per unit fan power consumption (Q/Pf). MOORA method also incorporated to obtain the performance ranking of the considered configurations of compact heat exchangers. The optimal configuration i.e. finned tube heat exchanger having oval tubes with rectangular winglet pairs, provides an increment of 13.84% and 9.99% in the heat transfer coefficient of air (h) at Re = 400 and Re = 900 respectively, compared to the baseline case. Moreover, an appreciable reduction of 26.61% and 29.79% in the pressure drop (∆p), compared to the baseline case, is obtained at Re = 400 and Re = 900 respectively.

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Abbreviations

A T :

Total heat transfer surface area (m2)

A min :

Minimum flow area (m2).

c p :

Specific heat (J kg−1 K−1).

D h :

Hydraulic diameter of heat exchanger (m).

D ht :

Hydraulic diameter of tube (m).

f :

Friction factor.

Fp :

Fin Pitch.

h :

Heat transfer coefficient of air (Wm-2 K-1).

H :

Channel height (m).

Hw :

Winglet height (m).

j :

Colburn factor.

L :

Flow length (m).

k f :

Thermal conductivity of fluid (W m-1 K-1).

Lw :

Winglet length (m).

Nu :

Average Nusselt number.

Q :

Heat transfer capacity (W).

Re :

Reynolds number.

St :

Stanton number.

ΔT :

Log mean temperature difference (K).

\( \overline{T} \) :

Bulk average temperature (K).

p :

Pressure (Pa).

P f :

Fan power.

\( \overline{p} \) :

Bulk average pressure (Pa).

∆p :

Pressure drop (Pa),

u :

Velocity in x- direction (m s−1).

v :

Velocity in y-direction (m s−1).

V m :

Mean velocity at Amin (m s−1).

w :

Velocity in z-direction (m s−1).

μ :

Dynamic viscosity (Pa-s).

ρ :

Density (kg m−3).

λ :

Thermal conductivity (W m−1 K−1).

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Acknowledgments

Authors are thankful to the CFD laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department (N.I.T. Silchar, Assam-788010), for providing the computational facility in carrying out the present numerical investigation.

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Silchar, Assam, 788 010, India

    Mohd Zeeshan, Sujit Nath & Dipankar Bhanja

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  1. Mohd Zeeshan
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Correspondence to Mohd Zeeshan.

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Zeeshan, M., Nath, S. & Bhanja, D. Numerical analysis to predict the optimum configuration of fin and tube heat exchanger with rectangular vortex generators for enhanced thermohydraulic performance. Heat Mass Transfer 56, 2159–2169 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-020-02843-8

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