Title: Numerical study on the performance of wavy fin heat exchangers with different elliptic tube patterns

Authors: Yaling He, Yubing Tao, Wenquan Tao

Addresses: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaan xi 710049, PR China. ' School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaan xi 710049, PR China. ' School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaan xi 710049, PR China

Abstract: 3D numerical studies on air side heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of wavy fin-and-tube heat exchanger are performed for circular tube and four elliptic tube patterns. The elliptic tubes have the same tube perimeter, tube section area, tube hydraulic diameter and minimum airside free-flow area as circular tube respectively. Compared with circular tube, average Nu of the four elliptic tube patterns are enhanced 12.3, 14.6, 17.0 and 16.9% respectively; the f of the previous three elliptic tube patterns are decreased 23.9, 20.7 and 17.0%, but the friction factor for the fourth elliptic tube pattern increases 7.1%.

Keywords: wavy fins; elliptic tube patterns; enhanced heat transfer; body-fitted coordinates; fin-and-tube heat exchangers; fluid flow; numerical simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2008.021329

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2008 Vol.8 No.7/8, pp.510 - 517

Published online: 19 Nov 2008 *

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