Influence of combined non-uniform wire coil and twisted tape inserts on thermal performance characteristics

In this paper, heat transfer, friction factor and thermal performance behaviors in a tube equipped with the combined devices between the twisted tape (TT) and constant/periodically varying wire coil pitch ratio are experimentally investigated. The periodically varying three coil pitch ratios were arranged into two different forms: (1) D-coil (decreasing coil pitch ratio arrangement) and (2) DI-coil (decreasing/increasing coil pitch ratio arrangement) while the twisted tapes were prepared with two different twist ratios. Each device alone is also tested and the results are subjected for comparison with those from the combined devices. The experiments were conducted in a turbulent flow regime with Reynolds numbers ranging from 4600 to 20,000 using air as the test fluid. Compared to each enhancement device, the heat transfer rate is further augmented by the compound devices. Over the range investigated, the highest thermal performance factor of around 1.25 is found by using DI-coil in common with the TT at lower Reynolds number. In addition, the empirical correlations of the heat transfer (Nu) and pressure drop (f) are also presented.     

Heat transfer improvement in a tube by inserting perforated conical ring and wire coil as turbulators

In the present study, two various passive methods for heat transfer enhancement, including conical ring and wire coil are placed in a tube as turbulators. Four conical rings with four side holes are utilized with the same distance. The wire coil is employed at the center of the tube. The considered Reynolds numbers are between 4000 and 10,000. The studied geometrical parameters contain the pitch and diameter of a wire coil. Four different pitches of wire coil, including 10, 12, 14, and 16 mm, are evaluated. Furthermore, four values of wire coil diameter such as 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm are certain. The obtained numerical results displayed that by declining the pitch of a wire coil (37.5%), the average Nusselt number increases by about 143%. Also, augmentation in wire coil diameter by 300% leads to a growth in average Nusselt number by about 131%. Moreover, owing to utilizing two various turbulators, the pressure drop is significantly high in comparison with the bare tube. At Re = 10,000, growth in the inner diameter of the wire coil by 300% leads to an increase in thermal performance by about 36.12%. Moreover, as the pitch of the wire coil rises by 60%, the thermal performance declines by about 35.71%.     

Investigation of heat transfer augmentation in a horizontal tube using different rectangular cut ring inserts

Experimental and computational investigations have studied the heat transfer, friction factor, and enhancement of heat transfer in a horizontal tube equipped with rectangular cut ring inserts and different diameter ratios (D/d) and pitch-to-tube diameter ratios (p/d_t). In the present study, air having a Reynolds no. range of 6700–20,100 was used as a working fluid. Three diameter ratios (D/d) were considered experimentally and numerically as 1.2, 1.25, and 1.3, and the pitch-to-tube diameter ratio (p/d_t) was (1, 0.625, and 0.5). Air was forced as working fluid through the tube and a uniform heat flux of 2000, 3500, and 5000 W/m² was applied through the tube's exterior surface. On the basis of the turbulence model k–ɛ with various parameters, three-dimensional numerical simulations using the ANSYS Fluent software 17.2 were investigated. Under the same working conditions, the results manifested a higher heat transfer rate and friction factor as compared to the plain tube. The results evinced that the Nusselt number for a horizontal tube equipped with rectangular cut ring inserts having various pitch ratios and diameter ratios is discovered to be higher than that for the plain tube. With the increased ring spacing, the overall improvement in heat transfer occurred. And, with a rise in Re, the total enhancement ratio decreased. Consequently, the greatest overall improvement attained was 38% at Reynolds number (Re = 12,860) with the pitch ratio (p/d_t = 1). The three diameter ratios (D/d) of 1.3, 1.25, and 1.2 gives in this study the average thermal performance factor in the value of 1.6, 1.5, and 1.4, respectively. Using the Nusselt number and friction factor, the results are correlated as a function of the Reynolds number, diameter ratio, and pitch ratio.     

Thermal enhancement in a round tube with snail entry and coiled-wire inserts

Influences of the insertion of coiled wires in conjunction with a snail-type swirl generator mounted at the tube entrance on heat transfer and turbulent flow friction characteristics in a uniform heat-flux, circular tube are experimentally investigated. In the present work, the coiled wire used as a turbulator is placed inside the test tube using air as the test fluid while the snail is employed to create a decaying swirl flow at the tube inlet. The effects of the snail entry and insertion of two different wire-sections of coils: square and circular, with a fixed pitch ratio on heat transfer rate in the tube are examined for the Reynolds number ranging from 5000 to 25,000. The experimental results are compared with those obtained from using coiled wire/snail entry alone, apart from the smooth tube. The results reveal that the presence of coil-wires together with the snail leads to a considerable increase in heat transfer and friction loss over the smooth tube. The snail entry with the coiled square-wire provides higher heat transfer rate than that with the circular one under the same conditions. Also, performance evaluation criteria to assess the real benefits in using both the coil-wire and the snail entry of the enhanced tube are determined.     

Heat transfer in a circular tube fitted with free-spacing snail entry and conical-nozzle turbulators

The paper presents the effect of a free-spacing snail entry together with conical-nozzle turbulators on turbulent heat transfer and friction characteristics in a uniform heat-flux tube. The insertions of the conical or converging nozzle (C-nozzle) with different pitch ratios (PR) in common with the free-space snail entry are examined in a Reynolds number range from 8000 to 18000. A substantial augmentation of heat transfer for using the C-nozzles and snail entrance is expected by a strong influence from nozzle-induced reverse/re-circulation motion and snail-produced vortex/swirl motion for high Reynolds number. The experimental result shows a considerable increase in friction factor and heat transfer over the plain tube under the same operation conditions. Over the range investigated, the Nusselt numbers for employing both the enhancement devices with PR = 2.0, 4.0 and 7.0 are found to be higher than that for the plain tube around 315%, 300% and 285% respectively. The results obtained are correlated in the form of Nusselt number as a function of Reynolds number, Prandtl number and pitch ratio. For performance comparison at equal pumping power, both the enhancement devices with the smallest pitch ratio perform the best, especially at low Reynolds number. The present results are also compared with correlations obtained from similar enhancement devices but without free-spacing entry.     

Conjugate heat transfer and thermal stress analysis of wire coil inserted tubes that are heated externally with uniform heat flux

Wire coil inserted tubes are important in engineering applications. The conjugate heat transfer and thermal stress, which is induced by temperature differences in the wire coil inserted tube sheet of heat transfer equipment, were studied numerically in the paper. Three different wire coil inserts, which have different pitches, are considered. The smooth tube is also considered for comparison. Uniform heat flux was applied from the external surface of the tube. Water has been used as fluid. The energy and governing flow equations were solved using a finite difference scheme. The finite element method (FEM) was used to compute the thermal stress fields. The effect of the different wire coils on the thermal stress has been discussed in terms of the results extracted from the FEM. It was found that the maximum thermal stresses ratio occurred in the case of p = 2d for 3 m/s mean water velocity. Some designs to reduce the thermal stress in the wire coiled tube sheet were suggested.     

Thermal Characteristics in a Tube With Loose-Fit Perforated Twisted Tapes

Enhanced heat transfer and pressure loss in a tube with loose-fit perforated twisted tapes were experimentally investigated. The effects of the twist ratio and the hole diameter ratio were also described. A constant twisted tape width of 52 mm, which is lower than the tube inside diameter of 56 mm, was used in order to reduce excessive pressure drops associated with full-width twisted tape elements. The tests were conducted using the tapes with three different ratios of pitch length of twisted tape to inner diameter of tube (twist ratios = 2, 2.5, 3) and three different ratios of hole to inner diameter (diameter ratios = 0.0714, 0.107, 0.143) in a range of Reynolds number 4860 to 24,130 under uniform heat flux conditions. The experimental findings revealed that the Nusselt number, friction factor, and thermal performance factor increase with decreasing twist ratio and hole diameter ratio. The maximum value of thermal performance factor of 1.27 was achieved for the case at a twist ratio of 2 and a hole diameter ratio of 0.0714. Eventually, the experimental results of Nusselt number, friction factor and thermal performance factor were correlated, and the deviations determined for Nusselt number, friction factor, and thermal performance factor were within ±7%, ±8%, and ±6%, respectively.     

Experimental Investigation on Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of Heat Exchanger Tube with Solid and Perforated Circular Disk Along with Twisted Tape Insert

Heat transfer enhancement in heat exchanger by using passive approach has become a very versatile area of research for the researchers. Although very significant results has been achieved in the thermal performance of heat exchangers, especially in the range of lower Reynolds number, but still these passive approaches of heat transfer enhancement is not effective for the range of higher Reynolds number. In the present work the effect of ‘perforated circular disk turbulators with and without twisted tape’, on heat transfer, friction factor and thermal performance of heat exchanger is evaluated experimentally. The different geometrical parameters used for the experiment include fixed diameter ratio (0. 8), pitch ratios (1, 2, and 3), perforation index (0%, 8%, 16%, and 24%), fixed twist ratio (2) and fixed width ratio (0.4). The experiment is done in the range of Reynolds number lying from 6,500 to 26,500. On the basis of experimental observation, there is 2.2–3.54 times improvement in heat transfer and around 1.18–1.64 times improvement in thermal performance factor over smooth tube heat exchanger.     

Experimental investigation of heat transfer and turbulent flow friction in a tube fitted with perforated conical-rings

Perforated conical-ring (PCR) is one of the turbulence-promoter/turbulator devices for enhancing the heat transfer rate in a heat exchanger system. In the present paper, the influences of the PCR on the turbulent convective heat transfer (Nu), friction factor (f) and thermal performance factor (η) characteristics have been investigated experimentally. The perforated conical-rings (PCRs) used are of three different pitch ratios (PR = p/D = 4, 6 and 12) and three different numbers of perforated holes (N = 4, 6 and 8 holes). The experiment conducted in the range of Reynolds number between 4000 and 20,000, under uniform wall heat flux condition and using air as the testing fluid. The experimental results obtained by using the plain tube and the tube equipped with the typical conical-ring (CR) are also reported for comparison. It is found that the PCR considerably diminishes the development of thermal boundary layer, leading to the heat transfer rate up to about 137% over that in the plain tube. Evidently, the PCRs can enhance heat transfer more efficient than the typical CR on the basis of thermal performance factor of around 0.92 at the same pumping power. Over the range investigated, the maximum thermal performance factor of around 0.92 is found at PR = 4 and N = 8 holes with Reynolds number of 4000.     

Heat transfer enhancement in round tube using wire coil: Influence of length and segmentation

Experiments are performed to study heat transfer enhancement in a round tube using a wire coil as a turbulator. This paper presents the effects of length and segmentation of the wire coil. Experiments are conducted with three different wire coils (1000, 500, and 300 mm) on the effect of length. The wire coils used to measure the effect of segmentation are three different types but of the same area (500 mm × 1, 100 mm × 5, and 50 mm × 10). The wire coils are made of copper of diameter 1.5 mm. The test fluid is water. Both heat transfer and friction factor are measured and compared. From the experiments, we were able to conclude that heat transfer and friction positively correlate to length of the wire coil. Heat transfer correlations are given as Eq. (7) for length and Eq. (10) for segmentation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 32(2): 99–107, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/htj.10072     

The flow characteristics of an upward gas‐liquid two‐phase flow in a vertical tube with a wire coil: Part 2. Effect on void fraction and liquid film thickness

An experimental study has been carried out to clarify the characteristics of the void fraction and the liquid film thickness of the air‐water two‐phase flow in vertical tubes of 25‐mm inside diameter with wire coils of varying wire diameter and pitch. The flow pattern in the experiment on the average void fraction and the local void fraction distribution in cross section was a bubble flow, and the liquid film thickness was in the region of semiannular and annular flows. It is clarified from these experiments that the average void fraction in tubes with wire coils is lower than that in a smooth tube and decreases with the wire diameter owing to the centrifugal force of the swirl flow which concentrates bubbles at the center of the tube, that the local liquid film thickness becomes more uniform with a decrease in the pitch of the wire coil, and that the liquid film becomes thicker after the passage through the wire coil with an increase in the wire diameter. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 31(8): 652–664, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/htj.10067     

Experimental study of heat transfer enhancement with wire coil inserts in laminar-transition-turbulent regimes at different Prandtl numbers

Helical-wire-coils fitted inside a round tube have been experimentally studied in order to characterize their thermohydraulic behaviour in laminar, transition and turbulent flow. By using water and water–propylene glycol mixtures at different temperatures, a wide range of flow conditions have been covered: Reynolds numbers from 80 to 90,000 and Prandtl numbers from 2.8 to 150. Six wire coils were tested within a geometrical range of helical pitch 1.17 < p/d < 2.68 and wire diameter 0.07 < e/d < 0.10. Experimental correlations of Fanning friction factor and Nusselt number as functions of flow and dimensionless geometric parameters have been proposed. Results have shown that in turbulent flow wire coils increase pressure drop up to nine times and heat transfer up to four times compared to the empty smooth tube. At low Reynolds numbers, wire coils behave as a smooth tube but accelerate transition to critical Reynolds numbers down to 700. Within the transition region, if wire coils are fitted inside a smooth tube heat exchanger, heat transfer rate can be increased up to 200% keeping pumping power constant. Wire coil inserts offer their best performance within the transition region where they show a considerable advantage over other enhancement techniques.     

Compound heat transfer enhancement of a dimpled tube with a twisted tape swirl generator

Friction and compound heat transfer behaviors in a dimpled tube fitted with a twisted tape swirl generator are investigated experimentally using air as working fluid. The effects of the pitch and twist ratio on the average heat transfer coefficient and the pressure loss are determined in a circular tube with the fully developed flow for the Reynolds number in the range of 12,000 to 44,000. The experiments are performed using two dimpled tubes with different pitch ratios of dimpled surfaces (PR = 0.7 and 1.0) and three twisted tapes with three different twist ratios (y/w = 3, 5, and 7). Experiments using plain tube and dimpled tube acting alone are also carried out for comparison. The experimental results reveal that both heat transfer coefficient and friction factor in the dimpled tube fitted with the twisted tape, are higher than those in the dimple tube acting alone and plain tube. It is also found that the heat transfer coefficient and friction factor in the combined devices increase as the pitch ratio (PR) and twist ratio (y/w) decrease. In addition, an empirical correlation based on the experimental results of the present study is sufficiently accurate for prediction the heat transfer (Nu) and friction factor (f) behaviors.     

Heat transfer augmentation through the use of wire-rod bundles under constant wall heat flux condition

This article reports an experimental investigation on heat transfer, friction factor and thermal performance characteristics of turbulent flow (6000 ≤ Re ≤ 20,000) in heat exchanger tubes with wire-rod bundles as flow turbulators. The experiments were carried out at three different pitch ratios (P/D) of 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 and three wire-rod number per bundle (N) of 4, 6 and 8. The experimental results show that Nusselt number increases with increasing Reynolds number and wire-rod number per bundle, and decreasing pitch ratio (P/D) of the turbulators. As compared to the results of the tube without wire-rod (the plain tube), heat transfer rate and friction factor are respectively increased in ranges of 3.5 to 68.8% and 156 to 353%, depending on the operating conditions. At the same pumping power, the use of wire-rod turbulators results in thermal performance factor up to 1.02 times of those of the plain tube. In addition, the correlations that developed from the present experimental data for Nusselt number, friction factor and thermal performance factor are also presented.     

Convective heat transfer in helical coils for constant-property and variable-property flows with high Reynolds numbers

Forced convection heat transfer of single-phase water in helical coils was experimentally studied. The testing section was constructed from a stainless steel round tube with an inner diameter of 10 mm, coil diameter of 300 mm, and pitch of 50 mm. The experiments were conducted over a wide Reynolds number range of 40000 to 500000. Both constant-property flows at normal pressure and variable-property flows at supercritical pressure were investigated. The contribution of secondary flow in the helical coil to heat transfer was gradually suppressed with increasing Reynolds number. Hence, heat transfer coefficients of the helical tube were close to those of the straight tube under the same flow conditions when the Reynolds number is large enough. Based on the experimental data, heat transfer correlations for both incompressible flows and supercritical fluid flows through helical coils were proposed.     

Performance Enhancement of Shell and Helical Coil Water Coolers Using Different Geometric and Fins Conditions

Experimental investigations of heat transfer characteristics and performance enhancement of shell and helical coil water coolers using external radial fins and different shells diameters were conducted. The study aims to enhance the water coolers performance in a trial to improve coil compactness. Two helical coils; one with a plain tube and the other with external radial fins, were tested in four shells of different tube diameters. Refrigerant passing inside the helical coils was used to cool water that enclose/passes in the space between the helical coil and the shell. Tests were conducted under mixed convection heat transfer regimes. Results showed performance and compactness enhancement with the insertion of external radial fins and increasing the shell diameter to helical coil diameter ratio. For nonfinned and finned coils, Nusselt number increased with increasing Reynolds number, Grashof number, and shell diameter. Correlations were predicted to give the Nusselt number in terms of Reynolds number, Grashof number, and shell diameters for finned and nonfinned helical coils. Correlations predictions were compared with present and previous experimental results and good agreements were obtained.     

An experimental study of thermal performance of shell-and-coil heat exchangers

In the present study an experimental investigation of the mixed convection heat transfer in a coil-in-shell heat exchanger is reported for various Reynolds and Rayleigh numbers, various tube-to-coil diameter ratios and dimensionless coil pitch. The purpose of this article is to assess the influence of the tube diameter, coil pitch, shell-side and tube-side mass flow rate over the performance coefficient and modified effectiveness of vertical helical coiled tube heat exchangers. The calculations have been performed for the steady-state and the experiments were conducted for both laminar and turbulent flow inside coil. It was found that the mass flow rate of tube-side to shell-side ratio was effective on the axial temperature profiles of heat exchanger. The results also indicate that the ? − NTU relation of the mixed convection heat exchangers was the same as that of a pure counter-flow heat exchanger.     

Numerical investigation for turbulent heat transfer of TiO2–SiO2 nanofluids with wire coil inserts

A numerical model has been developed for turbulent flow of hybrid nanofluids in a tube with wire coil inserts. The model was developed from van Driest eddy diffusivity equation. The model can be implemented with the consideration of new variables in eddy diffusivity of momentum and heat by using the coefficient, K and Prandtl index, ζ, respectively. The numerical analysis are undertaken for wide range of Reynolds number, different volume concentration, ? and various pitch ratio, P/D of wire coil. The numerical results were validated with the experimental data of TiO₂–SiO₂ nanofluids undertaken for wide range of Reynolds number and volume concentration. The final regression models of coefficient K and Prandtl index ζ were developed as a function of Reynolds number, Re or dimensionless radius, R⁺, volume concentration, ? and pitch ratio, P/D. A good agreement between the experimental data and numerical model indicating the validity of the numerical model for hybrid nanofluids with wire coil inserts. The numerical analysis was proved that the hybrid nanofluids contributes to higher Nusselt number and thus have better heat transfer performance compared to single nanofluids.     

Numerical Simulation and Optimization of Enhanced Heat Transfer in Helical Oval Tubes: Effect of Helical Oval Tube Modification,Pitch Ratio,and Depth Ratio

ABSTRACT

Flow and heat transfer behaviors in the helical oval tube, alternate-twisted-direction helical oval tube and regularly spaced helical oval tubes were numerically investigated. The helical oval tubes with eight oval tube depth ratios (0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) and nine oval tube pitch ratios (0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0) were examined in turbulent regime, Reynolds number ranged from 5000 to 20,000. The computational results showed that fully developed periodic flow and heat transfer in helical oval tubes commenced at around entrance length to characteristic diameter of 8–9. The decreasing depth ratio and increasing pitch ratio helped to reduce the pressure loss of the tube heat exchanger. The maximum thermal performance of 1.30 was obtained by the use of the helical oval tube with depth ratio of 0.05 and pitch ratio of 0.6 at the lowest Reynolds number of 5000. At similar conditions, typical helical oval tubes offered better heat transfer rate and thermal performance than helical oval tubes with alternate axes and regularly spaced helical oval tubes.     

The experimental investigation of heat transfer and pressure drop in a tube with coiled wire inserts placed separately from the tube wall

The paper presents the experimental investigation of heat transfer and pressure drop in a tube with coiled wire inserts placed separately from the tube wall in turbulent flow regime. The experiments were performed with a constant wire thickness of a = 6 mm, three different pitch ratios (P/D = 1, P/D = 2 and P/D = 3) and two different distances (s = 1 mm, s = 2 mm) at which the coiled wire inserts were placed separately from the tube wall. Uniform heat flux was applied to the external surface of the tube and Reynolds numbers varied from 4105 to 26 400 in the experiments. The experimental results obtained from a smooth tube were compared with those from the studies in literature for validation of experimental set up. The use of coiled wire inserts leads to a considerable increase in heat transfer and pressure drop over the smooth tube. The Nusselt number and friction factor increase with decreasing pitch ratio (P/D) and distance (s) for coiled wire inserts. The highest overall enhancement efficiency of 50% was achieved for the coiled wire with P/D = 1 and s = 1 mm at Reynolds number of 4220. As a result, the experimental results reveal that using these coiled wire inserts are thermodynamically advantageous at all Reynolds numbers.