Innovative analysis of local and average air-side heat transfer coefficients in fin-and-tube heat exchangers using CFD and experimental method

Mateusz Marcinkowski, Dawid Taler, Jacek Sacharczuk, Katarzyna Węglarz and Jan Taler

Energy, 2024, vol. 309, issue C

Abstract: In this study, the Nusselt numbers (heat transfer coefficients) of the air side of a finned heat exchanger were investigated by comparing experimental measurements with CFD simulation results. The aim was to develop precise correlations of Nusselt numbers tailored to specific heat exchanger tube rows, allowing improved heat transfer predictions under different air velocities. The results reveal that the fourth tube row exhibits the highest efficiency at elevated Reynolds numbers, challenging the conventional assumption of heat exchanger performance that the first row is the most efficient. The developed CFD models were validated against experimental data, showing discrepancies between 0.5 % and 25 % depending on the tube row, underlining the robustness of the proposed correlations. These correlations may have practical applications in optimizing the design and performance of heat exchangers in industries such as HVAC, automotive, and energy systems. Despite the strong agreement between simulation and experiment, the study acknowledges the limitations in generalizing the results to different heat exchanger designs, suggesting future studies to investigate more complex geometries and transient conditions.

Keywords: Compact heat exchangers; Fin and tube heat exchangers; Heat transfer enhancements; Local heat transfer coefficients; CFD and experiments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:309:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224028597

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.133084

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