Effect of Fin Geometry on the Performance of Tubular-Fin Heat Exchangers: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study

Document Type : Full Lenght Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, ,Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran

2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, ,Imam Khomeini International University,Qazvin, Iran

Abstract

Tubular-Fin heat exchangers are a type of compact heat exchangers with prominent features like high levels of exchanged heat and less space occupancy. These heat exchangers are commonly used for exchanging heat between gas and liquid. In this study, for a tubular-fin heat exchanger, the heat transfer and pressure drop for circular and serrated fins with the triangular arrangement are numerically calculated and compared with the existing experimental data. A three-dimensional numerical study with the Reynolds mean-averaged Navier-Stokes (k-ε) model for turbulence is conducted. In the Reynolds range of 6000 to 25000, the performance of four types of fin geometry (serrated, semi-serrated, circular and semi-circular) are compared. The results show that the circular fin has the highest heat transfer rate, while the serrated fin has the highest reduction in the gas temperature. It is also found that the semi-circular fin has the highest thermal enhancement factor and the semi-serrated fin has the highest heat transfer coefficient. The results of the present study can be beneficial in the selection of optimal fins in a heat exchanger from both practical and economic aspects.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

[1] Shepherd DG. Performance of one-row tube coils with thin-plate fins, low velocity forced convection. Heating, Pip Air Cond 1956;28:137–44.
[2]    Rocha LAO, Saboya FEM, Vargas JVC. A comparative study of elliptical and circular sections in one- and two-row tubes and plate fin heat exchangers. Int J Heat Fluid Flow 1997. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0142-727X(96)00063-X.
[3]    Kundu B, Das PK. Optimum dimensions of plate fins for fin-tube heat exchangers. Int J Heat Fluid Flow 1997. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0142-727X(97)80011-2.
[4]    Abu Madi M, Johns RA, Heikal MR. Performance characteristics correlation for round tube and plate finned heat exchangers: Equations relatives aux performances d’échangeurs de chaleur constitués de tubes ronds et de plaques à ailettes. Int J Refrig 1998. https://doi.org/ http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-7007(98)00031-0.
[5]    Wang CC, Chi KY, Chang CJ. Heat transfer and friction characteristics of plain fin-and-tube heat exchangers, part II: Correlation. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2000. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0017-9310(99)00333-6.
[6]    Tutar, Mustafa; Akkoca A. a Computational Study of Effects of Different Geometrical Parameters on Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow in a Wavy and Plain Fin. 6th Bienn Conf Eng Syst Des Anal Instanbul, Turkey 2002:2–7.
[7]    Erek A, Özerdem B, Bilir L, Ilken Z. Effect of geometrical parameters on heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of plate fin and tube heat exchangers. Appl Therm Eng 2005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2004.12.019.
[8]    A. Haught MSE. Numerical and experimental Simulation for airflow and heating in a tube fin heat exchanger. Heat Transf Gas Turbines Three-Dimensional Flows 2006:107–13.
[9]    Wang CC, Chang YJ, Hsieh YC, Lin YT. Sensible heat and friction characteristics of plate fin-and-tube heat exchangers having plane fins. Int J Refrig 1996. https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-7007(96)00021-7.
[10]  Kayansayan N. Heat transfer characterization of plate fin-tube heat exchangers. Int J Refrig 1994;17:49–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-7007(94)90086-8.
[11]  Lemouedda A, Schmid A, Franz E, Breuer M, Delgado A. Numerical investigations for the optimization of serrated finned-tube heat exchangers. Appl Therm Eng 2011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2010.12.03.
[12]  Tang LH, Zeng M, Wang QW. Experimental and numerical investigation on air-side performance of fin-and-tube heat exchangers with various fin patterns. Exp Therm Fluid Sci 2009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2009.02.008.
[13]  Bilir L, Ilken Z, Erek A. Numerical optimization of a fin-tube gas to liquid heat exchanger. Int J Therm Sci 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2011.09.010.
[14]  Pongsoi P, Promoppatum P, Pikulkajorn S, Wongwises S. Effect of fin pitches on the air-side performance of L-footed spiral fin-and-tube heat exchangers. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2012.11.071.
[15]  Zeeshan M, Nath S, Bhanja D. Numerical study to predict optimal configuration of fin and tube compact heat exchanger with various tube shapes and spatial arrangements. Energy Convers Manag 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2017.06.011.
[16]  Senapati JR, Dash SK, Roy S. Numerical investigation of natural convection heat transfer over annular finned horizontal cylinder. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2016.01.024.
[17]  Chen HT, Chiu YJ, Liu CS, Chang JR. Numerical and experimental study of natural convection heat transfer characteristics for vertical annular finned tube heat exchanger. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2017.01.122.
[18]  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 Transf 2020:1–11.
[19]  Gupta A, Roy A, Gupta S, Gupta M. Numerical investigation towards implementation of punched winglet as vortex generator for performance improvement of a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2019.119171.
[20]  Li D, Yang C, Yang H. Experimental and numerical study of a tube-fin cool storage heat exchanger. Appl Therm Eng 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2018.12.024.
[21]  Uosofvand H, Abbasian Arani AA, Arefmanesh A. Effect of baffle oientation on shell tube heat exchanger performance. J Heat Mass Transf Res 2017;4:83–90.
[22]  Gu L, Min J, Wu X, Yang L. Airside heat transfer and pressure loss characteristics of bare and finned tube heat exchangers used for aero engine cooling considering variable air properties. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2017.01.047.
[23]  Ali Shakir, A. J., Majid, H. M., & Bassam AS. Circular fins with slanted blades attached on the copper pipe: Uniform heat flux and isothermal processes. Int J Mech Eng Technol 2014.
[24]  Kundu B, Das PK. Performance analysis and optimization of annular fin with a step change in thickness. J Heat Transfer 2001. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1351165.
[25]  Deka A, Datta D. Geometric size optimization of annular step fin using multi-objective genetic algorithm. J Therm Sci Eng Appl 2017. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4035838.
[26]  Kundu B, Das PK. Performance analysis and optimization of elliptic fins circumscribing a circular tube. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2006.06.043.
[27]  Nemati H, Samivand S. Performance optimization of annular elliptical fin based on thermo-geometric parameters. Alexandria Eng J 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2015.09.016.
[28]  Liu X, Yu J, Yan G. An experimental study on the air side heat transfer performance of the perforated fin-tube heat exchangers under the frosting conditions. Appl Therm Eng 2020;166:114634.
[29]  Marković S, Jaćimović B, Genić S, Mihailović M, Milovančević U, Otović M. Air side pressure drop in plate finned tube heat exchangers. Int J Refrig 2019;99:24–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2018.11.038.
[30]  Sadeghianjahromi A, Kheradmand S, Nemati H. Developed correlations for heat transfer and flow friction characteristics of louvered finned tube heat exchangers. Int J Therm Sci 2018;129:135–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2018.03.002.
[31]  Nemati H, Moghimi MA, Sapin P, Markides CN. Shape optimisation of air-cooled finned-tube heat exchangers. Int J Therm Sci 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2019.106233.
[32]  Briggs, D. E., & Young EH. Convection heat transfer and pressure drop of air flowing across triangular pitch banks of finned tubes. 5th AICHE/ASME Natl Heat Transf Conf Houst 1962.
[33]  Hewitt, G. F., Shires, G. L., & Bott TR. Process heat transfer. vol. 113. Boca Raton: CRC press.; 1994.
[34]  Rabas TJ, Eckels PW, Sabatino RA. The effect of fin density on the heat transfer and pressure drop performance of low-finned tube banks. Chem Eng Commun 1981. https://doi.org/10.1080/00986448108910930.
[35]  Gong B, Wang LB, Lin ZM. Heat transfer characteristics of a circular tube bank fin heat exchanger with fins punched curve rectangular vortex generators in the wake regions of the tubes. Appl Therm Eng 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2014.09.043.
[36]  Robinson, K. K., & Briggs DE. Pressure drop of air flowing across triangular pitch banks of finned tubes. Chem Eng Prog Symp Ser 1966;62:177–84.
[37]  Næss E. Experimental investigation of heat transfer and pressure drop in serrated-fin tube bundles with staggered tube layouts. Appl Therm Eng 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2010.02.019.
[38]  Weirman C. CORRELATIONS EASE THE SELECTION OF FINNED TUBES. Oil Gas J 1976.
[39]  Hashizume K, Matsue T, Koyama T. Fin efficiency of serrated fins: Part 1. Analysis of theoretical fin efficiency and experimental results. Heat Transf Res 1999. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1523-149x(1999)28:6<528::aid-htj9>3.0.co;2-b.
[40]  Reid DR, Taborek J. Selection criteria for plain and segmented finned tubes for heat recovery systems. J Eng Gas Turbines Power 1994. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2906835.
[41]  Mcilwain SR. A comparison of heat transfer around a single serrated finned tube and a plain finned tube. Proc IJRRAS 2010;2.
[42]  Development of a new type of finned heat exchanger. Teh Vjesn - Tech Gaz 2017. https://doi.org/10.17559/tv-20171011071711.
[43]  Nada SA, Said MA. Effects of fins geometries, arrangements, dimensions and numbers on natural convection heat transfer characteristics in finned-horizontal annulus. Int J Therm Sci 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2018.11.026.
[44]  Hosain ML, Fdhila RB. Literature Review of Accelerated CFD Simulation Methods towards Online Application. Energy Procedia, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.07.714.
[45]  Qiu G, Sun J, Ma Y, Qu J, Cai W. Theoretical study on the heat transfer characteristics of a plain fin in the finned-tube evaporator assisted by solar energy. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2018.07.106.
[46]  Jones WP, Launder BE. The prediction of laminarization with a two-equation model of turbulence. Int J Heat Mass Transf 1972. https://doi.org/10.1016/0017-9310(72)90076-2.
[47]  White FM. Viscous Fluid Flow (MCGRAW HILL SERIES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING) 3rd Edition. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2005.

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 07 October 2020
  • Revise Date: 20 June 2021
  • Accept Date: 21 June 2021

Share

How to cite

Statistics