Numerical Study of Condensation Heat Transfer in Curved Square and Triangle Microchannels

Abstract

A numerical study of condensation heat transfer in curved square and triangle microchannels with various curvatures is conducted. The model is based on the volume of fluid approach and user-defined routines. The predictive accuracy of the numerical results is assessed by comparing the heat transfer coefficient with available correlation. After the validation, the effects of the mass flux and heat flux on heat transfer coefficient are analyzed in detail. Increasing mass flux could strengthen heat transfer performance, while wall heat flux has little effect on condensation heat transfer coefficient. The curved microchannels show an advantage in heat transfer enhancement comparing with the straight ones, and the enhancement performs better in curved microchannels with larger curvatures. Besides, the heat transfer performance could be enhanced in triangle microchannels in comparison with square microchannels.