Conference article

Multiphysics Numerical Modeling of a Fin and Tube Heat Exchanger

Shobhana Singh
Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark

Kim Sørensen
Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark

Thomas Condra
Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark

Download articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.3384/ecp15119383

Published in: Proceedings of the 56th Conference on Simulation and Modelling (SIMS 56), October, 7-9, 2015, Linköping University, Sweden

Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 119:39, p. 383-390

Show more +

Published: 2015-11-25

ISBN: 978-91-7685-900-1

ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)

Abstract

In the present research work, a modeling effort to predict the performance of a liquid-gas type fin and tube heat exchanger design is made. Three dimensional (3D) steady state numerical model is developed using commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics based on finite element method (FEM). For the purposes here, only gas flowing over the fin side is simulated assuming constant inner tube wall temperature. The study couples conjugate heat transfer mechanism with turbulent flow in order to describe the temperature and velocity profile. In addition, performance characteristics of the heat exchanger design in terms of heat transfer and pressure loss are determined by parameters such as overall heat transfer coefficient, Colburn j-factor, flow resistance factor, and efficiency index. The model provides useful insights necessary for optimization of heat exchanger design.

Keywords

Fin and tube heat exchanger; turbulent flow; conjugate heat transfer; numerical modeling; COMSOL

References

A. Erek, B. O¨zerdem, L. Bilir and Z. Ilken. Effect of geometrical parameters on heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of plate fin and tube heat exchangers.
Applied Thermal Engineering, 25: 2421–2431, 2005.

A. Jacobi and R. Shah. Heat transfer surface enhancement through the use of longitudinal vortices: a review of recent progress. Experimental Thermal Fluid Science, 11: 295–309, 1995.

B. Gong, L. Wang and Z. Lin. 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. Applied Thermal Engineering, 75: 224–238, 2015.

B. Kundu and K. Lee. Thermal design of an orthotropic flat fin in fin-and-tube heat exchangers operating in dry and wet environments. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 54:5207–5215, 2011.

C. C. Wang, W. H. Tao and C. J. Chang. An investigation of the airside performance of the slit fin-and-tube heat exchangers. International Journal of Refrigeration, 2:
595–603, 1999.

C. Habchi, S. Russeil, D. Bougeard, J. Harion, T. Lemenand, D. D. Valle and H. Peerhossaini. Enhancing heat transfer in vortex generator-type multifunctional heat exchangers. Applied Thermal Engineering, 38:14–25, 2012.

D. C. Wilcox. Turbulence Modeling for CFD. 2nd ed., DCW Industries, 1998.

D. Kuzmin, O. Mierka and S. Turek. On the Implementation of the k-e Turbulence Model in Incompressible Flow Solvers Based on a Finite Element Discretization. International Journal of Computing Science and Mathematics, 1(2–4): 193–206, 2007.

D. Taler and P. Oclon. Thermal contact resistance in plate fin-and-tube heat exchangers determined by experimental data and CFD simulations. International Journal of Thermal Science, 84: 309–322, 2014.

J. Cobian- Iñiguez, A. Wu, F. Dugast and A. Pacheco-Vega. Numerically-based parametric analysis of plain fin and tube compact heat exchangers. Applied Thermal Engineering, 86: 1–13, 2015.

J. Y. Jang and J. Y. Yang. Experimental and numerical analysis of the thermal hydraulic characteristics of elliptic finned-tube heat exchangers. Heat Transfer Engineering, 19(4): 55–67, 1998.

L. A. O. Rocha, F. E. M. Saboya and J. V. C. Vargas. A comparative study of elliptical and circular sections in oneand two-row tubes and plate fin heat exchangers, International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 18(2): 247–252, 1997.

L. H. Tang, Z. Min, G. N. Xie and Q. W. Wang. Fin Pattern Effects on Air-Side Heat Transfer and Friction Characteristics of Fin-and-Tube Heat Exchangers with Large Number of Large-Diameter Tube Rows. Heat Transfer Engineering, 30(3): 171–180, 2009.

L. Li, X. Du, Y. Zhang, L. Yang and Y. Yang. Numerical simulation on flow and heat transfer of fin-and-tube heat exchanger with longitudinal vortex generators. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 92: 85–96, 2015.

L. M. Chang, L. B. Wang, K. W. Song and D. L. Sun. Numerical study of the relationship between heat transfer enhancement and absolute vorticity flux along main flow direction in a channel formed by a flat tube bank fin with vortex generators. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 52: 1794–1801, 2009.

M. Fiebig. Embedded vortices in internal flow: heat transfer and pressure loss enhancement. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 16(5):376-388, 1995.

M. Hatami, D. D.Ganji and M. Gorji-Bandpy. Numerical study of finned type heat exchangers for ICEs exhaust waste heat recovery. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 4:53–64, 2014a.

M. Hatami, D. D. Ganji and M. Gorji-Bandpy. A review of different heat exchangers designs for increasing the diesel exhaust waste heat recovery. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 37:168–181, 2014b.

M. Hatami, D. D. Ganji and M. Gorji-Bandpy. CFD simulation and optimization of ICEs exhaust heat recovery using different coolants and fin dimensions in heat exchanger. Neural Computing and Applications, 25: 2079–2090, 2014c.

M. S. Mon and U. Gross. Numerical study of fin-spacing effects in annular-finned tube heat exchangers. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 47: 1953–1964, 2004.

P. Chu, Y. L. He, Y. G. Lei, L. T. Tian and R. Li. Threedimensional numerical study on fin-and-oval-tube heat exchanger with longitudinal vortex generators. Applied Thermal Engineering, 29: 859–876, 2009.

R. Borrajo-Peláez, J. Ortega-Casanova and J. M.Cejudo-López. A three-dimensional numerical study and comparison between the air side model and the air/water side model of a plain fin-and-tube heat exchanger. Applied Thermal Engineering, 30: 1608–1615, 2010.

R. S. Matos, J. V. C. Vargas, T. A. Laursen and T. A. Bejan. Optimally staggered finned circular and elliptic tubes in forced convection. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 47(13): 47–59, 2004.

S. Lopata and P. Oclon. Numerical study of the effect of fouling on local heat transfer conditions in a hightemperature fin-and-tube heat exchanger. Energy doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2015.03.048, 2015

T. A. Ibrahim and A. Gomma. Thermal performance criteria of elliptic tube bundle in crossflow. International Journal of Thermal Science, 48(11): 2148–2158, 2009.

T. J. Lu, F. Xu and T. Wen. Thermo-fluid behaviour of periodic cellular metals. Springer Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London (ISBN 978-3-642-33523-5), 2013.

V. P. Malapure, S. K. Mitra and A. Bhattacharya. Numerical investigation of fluid flow and heat transfer over louvered fins in compact heat exchanger. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 46:199–211, 2007.

W. Yaïci, M. Ghorab and E. Entchev. 3D CFD analysis of the effect of inlet air flow maldistribution on the fluid flow and heat transfer performances of plate-fin-and-tube laminar heat exchangers. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 74:490–500, 2014.

Y. A. Cengel, J. M. Cimbala and R. H. Turner. Fundamentals of thermal-fluid sciences, fourth edition in SI units. McGraw-Hill, 2012.

Y. B. Tao, Y. L. He, J. Huang, Z. G. Wu and W.Q. Tao. Numerical study of local heat transfer coefficient and fin efficiency of wavy fin-and-tube heat exchangers. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 46: 768–778, 2007.

Y. Chen , M. Fiebig and N. K. Mitra. Conjugate heat transfer of a finned oval tube part a: flow patterns, Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A: Applications. An International Journal of Computation and Methodology, 33(4): 371–385, 2007.

Citations in Crossref