Experimental study of thermal performance improvement in a cross-flow heat exchanger by using copper foam

In this study, copper foam was used as a porous medium in place of traditional aluminum fins. A comparison between the two heat exchangers—one with fins and the other with copper foam—was conducted under various conditions. The air inlet velocity ranged from 0.9 to 9.3 m/s, and the water inlet temperature ranged from 10°C to 18°C. Different water flow rates were tested. A comparison was made between the performance of copper foam and aluminum fins by calculating several parameters, including thermal resistance, heat exchanger effectiveness, Colburn factor, Nusselt number, friction factor, and area goodness factor (AG). The experimental results showed that at low air velocities, the heat transfer coefficient for both types of heat exchangers was almost equal. However, at high air velocities, the copper foam exhibited a higher heat transfer coefficient. The Colburn factor was higher for the heat exchanger with copper foam than in the conventional fins, where it was equal to 0.1959 for the copper foam and 0.1186 for the fins. On the other hand, the AG was higher in the case of fins than in the heat exchanger with copper foam.     

Thermal performance of finned aluminum heat sink filled with ERG aluminum foam: Experimental and numerical approach

The rapid improvements in electronic devices have led to a high demand for effective cooling techniques. The purpose of this study was to investigate the heat transfer characteristics and performance of different aluminum heat sinks filled with aluminum foam for an Intel core i7 processor. The aluminum foam heat sinks were subjected to water flow covering the non-Darcy flow regime (300-600 Reynolds numbers). The bottom side of the heat sinks was heated with a heat flux between 8.5 and 13.8 W/cm². Three different heat sinks were examined in this study. Models A, B, and C contained two, three and four channels, respectively. Each channel gap was filled with ERG aluminum foam. The distributions of the local surface temperature and the local Nusselt number were measured for each heat sink design. The experimental data were compared with the numerical results. The average Nusselt number was obtained for the range of Reynolds numbers, and an empirical correlation of the average Nusselt number as a function of the Reynolds number was derived for each heat sink. The pressure drop across the characteristics of each heat sink design was measured. The thermal performance of each aluminum foam heat sink was evaluated based on the average Nusselt number and the required pumping power. The experimental results revealed that model B achieved the highest average Nusselt number compared with models A and C. However, model C had the highest surface to volume ratio; the thermal boundary layers, which are formed on adjacent fin surfaces inside the aluminum foam, interface with each other causing a reduction in the overall heat transfer. The numerical results were in good agreement with experimental data of local Nusselt number and local temperature with maximum relative errors of 2% and 1%, respectively.     

石墨烯-PFA复合材料换热器与金属换热器的传热性能对比

氟塑料换热器以其耐腐蚀、耐磨损等优点而备受关注,但氟塑料热导率较低,换热能力差,限制了其广泛应用。石墨烯-PFA复合材料兼具石墨烯优异的导热性和可熔性聚四氟乙烯(PFA)良好的耐酸碱腐蚀性,是新一代的换热器材料。搭建了余热回收测试实验台,对石墨烯-PFA复合材料换热器和金属换热器的传热性能进行对比。研究了不同烟气流速、不同进口烟气温度以及不同石墨烯配比对复合材料传热性能的影响。结果表明:对于金属换热器和复合材料换热器,当烟气流速从2.0增加到4.0 m/s时,传热系数分别增加到原来的1.19和1.34倍;随着进口烟温的升高,两种材质的传热系数分别降低了15.6%和14.7%;随着石墨烯含量增加,复合材料的导热系数以及传热系数均增加。     

混装板式换热器的流动阻力试验测试与分析

针对板式换热器无法保证换热面两侧流体的流动阻力完全相同,把板式换热器受涨侧和受压侧流动阻力合并为一个处理阻降来解决。通过实验对不同混装方式的板式换热器进行流动阻力测试,采用数据分析及公式拟合的方法,得出混装板式换热器流动阻力的主要影响因素是混合流道所占的比例,并利用线性拟合的方法,得到流动阻力的计算方法,从而确定板式换热器混装中流动阻力。     

Influence of nanofluids on parallel flow square microchannel heat exchanger performance

The effects of using various types of nanofluids and Reynolds numbers on heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics in a square shaped microchannel heat exchanger (MCHE) is numerically investigated in this study. The performance of an aluminum MCHE with four different types of nanofluids (aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), silver (Ag), and titanium dioxide (TiO₂)), with three different nanoparticle volume fractions of 2%, 5% and 10% using water as base fluid is comprehensively analyzed. The three-dimensional steady, laminar developing flow and conjugate heat transfer governing equations of a balanced MCHE are solved using the finite volume method. The MCHE performance is evaluated in terms of temperature profile, heat transfer rate, heat transfer coefficient, pressure drop, wall shear stress pumping power, effectiveness, and overall performance index. The results reveal that nanofluids can enhance the thermal properties and performance of the heat exchanger while having a slight increase in pressure drop. It was also found that increasing the Reynolds number causes the pumping power to increase and the effectiveness to decrease.     

Development of gas-solid direct contact heat exchanger by use of axial flow cyclone

A heat exchanger between particulate or granular materials and gas is developed. It makes use of a swirling gas flow similar to the usual cyclone separators but the difference from them is that the swirl making gas is issued into the cyclone chamber with downward axial velocity component. After it turns the flow direction near the bottom of the chamber, the low temperature gas receives heat from high temperature particles supplied from above at the chamber's center. Through this configuration, a direct contact and quasi counter-flow heat exchange pattern is realized so that the effective recovery of heat carried by particles is achieved. A model heat exchanger was manufactured via several numerical experiments and its performances of heat exchange as well as particle recovery were examined. Attaching a small particle diffuser below the particle-feeding nozzle brought about a drastic improvement of the heat exchange performance without deteriorating the particle recovery efficiency. The outlet gas temperature much higher than the particle outlet temperature was finally obtained, which is never realized in the parallel flow heat exchanger.     

同轴径向热管换热器壳程流场数值模拟

基于多孔介质模型和分布阻力方法,引入Al-sanea和Taborek两种阻力关系式模拟同轴径向热管换热器壳程的流场。结果表明:换热器壳程静压沿烟气流动方向呈线性分布;随入口烟气速度的增加,换热器阻力损失增大、压降增大;且随入口烟气速度的增加,压降增加的速率增大。     

一种新型换热器流动特性的实验研究

螺旋折流板换热器是将折流板布置成与管束有某个倾斜角度 ,流体在壳程沿着螺旋折流板呈螺旋状流动的一种新型换热器。在对几个影响螺旋折流板换热器流动特性的因素进行了实验研究后 ,本文对实验结果进行了论述和分析。     

Experimental study on the effect of porous medium on performance of a single tube heat exchanger: A CO2 case study

An experimental study on single‐phase laminar forced convection in a single porous tube heat exchanger is presented. Parametric studies are conducted for different inlet pressures, different mass flow rates, and different porosities to evaluate the effects of particle diameter and Reynolds number on the heat transfer and friction factor. The Nusselt number and friction factor are developed for efficient design of a porous heat exchanger based on the present configuration. Heat is transferred to the walls of the heat exchanger by natural convection mode. Gravel sand with different porosities is used as a porous medium during the tests. The flow of carbon dioxide as a working fluid in the porous medium is modeled using the Brinkman–Forchheimer‐extended Darcy model. A dimensionless performance parameter is developed in order to be used in evaluating the porous tube heat exchanger based on both the heat transfer enhancement and the associated pressure drop. The study covers a wide range of inlet pressures (P_i), mass flow rates ( ), porosity of gravel sand (ε), and particle diameters (d_m) which ranged 34.5 ≤ P_i ≤ 43 bars, 8 ?? 10^?5 ≤ ≤ 16 ?? 10^?5 kg/s, 34.9% ≤ ε ≤ 44.5%, 1.25 ≤ d_m ≤ 5.15 mm, respectively. This study revealed that a smaller particle diameter can be used to achieve higher heat transfer enhancement, but a larger particle diameter leads to a more efficient performance based on heat transfer enhancement. The average heat transfer coefficient of carbon dioxide decreases when the porosity increases. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj). DOI 10.1002/htj.21059     

Numerical model and effectiveness correlations for a run-around heat recovery system with combined counter and cross flow exchangers

A two-dimensional steady-state numerical model is developed to study the heat transfer in a run-around heat recovery system with two exchangers each with a combination of counter and cross (counter/cross) flow between parallel plates or membranes. A finite difference method is used to solve the steady-state equations of continuity, momentum and heat transfer. The simulated values for the effectiveness of each counter/cross flow heat exchanger and the overall run-around system are used to develop effectiveness correlations which agree within ±2% of the simulated effectiveness of individual heat exchangers and overall system. It is shown that the effectiveness of this new run-around heat exchanger (RAHE) falls between the effectiveness of similar run-around systems with either two cross-flow exchangers or two counter-flow exchangers. For a given total surface area of the exchangers, the highest overall sensible effectiveness is achieved with exchangers which have a small exchanger aspect ratio and relatively small solution flow inlet and outlet lengths.     

泡沫陶瓷多孔介质内流体流动及表面传热模拟

气隙扩散蒸馏脱盐技术利用具有大比表面积的多孔介质作为蒸发器,海水在多孔介质内部流动并在表面蒸发,多孔介质起到了强化液体蒸发的作用;但由于多孔介质结构极其复杂,很难使用传统的实验技术从微观水平观测到多孔介质孔隙通道内流体的流动状态以及传热现象。针对此问题采用计算机数值模拟方法,拍摄实际碳化硅泡沫陶瓷CT图片,构建三维模型进行有限元模拟分析。结果表明,多孔介质内流体会优先通过较大孔隙通道。流体在多孔介质表面向环境空气的散热量随孔隙密度增大而增大,孔隙密度从10提高至30 PPI,散热量提高约1.43倍。进口热流体与环境空气温差越大,向环境的散热量越大,孔隙密度在30 PPI条件下,进口热流体温度从49.38增加至68.67 ℃,散热量提高近2.07倍。     

System performance of a deep borehole heat exchanger

Deep borehole heat exchanger (BHE) systems, installed in abandoned boreholes, have been operative in Switzerland for several years now. The operational conditions of the 2302 m deep BHE plant at Weggis have been monitored continuously since 1994. In the first operational phase, lasting from October 1994 to May 1996, the plant was severely underused, as shown by the high production temperatures (40 °C). This behaviour was investigated by a numerical model accounting for the heat transport in the rock matrix and along the different tubing systems, with special emphasis on the heat transfer in a multi-layer insulated central pipe. Lacking detailed logging data or undisturbed temperature profiles, an axis-symmetrical model had to be used, assuming uniform rock parameters. Sensitivity studies highlighted the effect of varying flow rate or operation/recovery cycle lengths and helped to develop a strategy that allowed us to make an accurate calculation of the long-term Weggis production history. The initial model assumptions, based on this detailed treatment of the tubing system, could explain the operational data. By means of slight model variations that account only for the minor effects of metallic sleeves, the long-term production temperature history of the Weggis plant could be accurately fitted. These findings were confirmed by a detailed analysis of the May 1996 data. Due to the low degree of utilization, only numerical sensitivity analyses were able to highlight the potential of the deep BHE plant at Weggis. The results indicate that the low utilisation of 40 kW during the first operational phase could be increased to over 200 kW. The specific yield of deep systems is much higher than in conventional shallow BHE systems. Our simulation procedure proves that the heat transfer in a deep BHE system is well understood.     

Numerical studies on flow and heat transfer in membrane helical-coil heat exchanger and membrane serpentine-tube heat exchanger

The flow and heat transfer characteristics of synthesis gas (syngas) in membrane helical-coil heat exchanger and membrane serpentine-tube heat exchanger under different operating pressures, inlet velocities and pitches are investigated numerically. The three-dimensional governing equations for mass, momentum and heat transfer are solved using a control volume finite difference method. The realizable k-ε model is adopted to simulate the turbulent flow and heat transfer in heat exchangers. There flows syngas in the channels consisting of the membrane helical coils or membrane serpentine tubes, where the operating pressure varies from 0.5 to 3.0 MPa. The numerically obtained heat transfer coefficients for heat exchangers are in good agreement with experimental values. The results show that the syngas tangential flow in the channel consisting of membrane helical coils is significant to the heat transfer enhancement to lead to the higher average heat transfer coefficient of membrane helical-coil heat exchanger compared to membrane serpentine-tube heat exchanger. The syngas tangential velocity in the membrane helical-coil heat exchanger increases along the axial direction, and it is independent of the gas pressure, increasing with the axial velocity and axial pitch rise and decreasing with the radial pitch rise.     

Hall current effects on MHD flow of chemically reacting fluid through a porous medium with heat source

We considered the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) free convective flow of an incompressible electrically conducting viscous fluid past an infinite vertical permeable porous plate with a uniform transverse magnetic field, heat source and chemical reaction in a rotating frame taking Hall current effects into account. The momentum equations for the fluid flow during absorbent medium are controlled by the Brinkman model. Through the undisturbed state, both the plate and fluid are in a rigid body rotation by the uniform angular velocity perpendicular to an infinite vertical plate. The perpendicular surface is subject to the homogeneous invariable suction at a right angle to it and the heat on the surface varies about a non-zero unvarying average whereas the warmth of complimentary flow is invariable. The systematic solutions of the velocity, temperature, and concentration distributions are acquired systematically by utilizing the perturbation method. The velocity expressions consist of steady-state and fluctuating situations. It is revealed that the steady part of the velocity field has a three-layer characteristic while the oscillatory part of the fluid field exhibits a multi-layer characteristic. The influence of various governing flow parameters on the velocity, temperature, and concentration are analyzed graphically. We also discuss computational results for the skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number in the tabular forms.     

Thermal performance of a single-row fin-and-tube heat exchanger

Experiments were carried out to study the heat transfer characteristics of a single-row aluminum fin-and-tube crossflow heat exchanger with an emphasis in the regime of low flow rate of the in-tube fluid. The Chilton-Colburn analogy, in conjunction with the least-squares power-law technique, was used to correlate experimental data. Both air- and water-side heat transfer correlations were developed in the form of the Nusselt numbers as a function of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. The experimental observations are quantitatively compared to the predictions of correlations available in the published literature. Different transfer mechanisms were found to be operative in the ranges of water-side Reynolds numbers based on the hydraulic diameter. In a range of Reynolds number from 1,200 to 6,000, the water-side thermal resistance accounts for less than ten percent of the overall thermal resistance. The dominant thermal resistance is always on the air-side. On the other hand, the thermal resistance of water-side is nearly equal to that of air-side in a Reynolds number range from 500 to 1,200.     

Influence of transverse vibrations on convective heat transfer in parallel flow tube-in-tube heat exchanger

Tube-in-tube heat exchangers are widely used in food processing industries and wastewater treatment for both heating and cooling. Enhancement techniques namely active, passive, and compound are developed to reduce the thermal resistance in heat exchangers by improving convective heat transfer with or without increase in surface area. The present experimental study is aimed at analyzing the influence of vibrations on the convective heat transfer of a parallel flow tube-in-tube heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is placed in horizontal position and is subjected to transverse vibrations under turbulent fluid flow conditions. Experiments were performed at four frequencies (20, 40, 60, and 100 Hz), three amplitudes (1, 2, and 3 m/s²), and three vibration generator positions along its length, in the Reynolds number range of 10 710 to 21 420. An enhancement in Nusselt number is found with vibration than without vibration throughout the entire range of Reynolds numbers. A maximum enhancement of 33% at 40 Hz frequency, 3 m/s² amplitude, and vibration generator position at three-fourth of the tube length was observed. Empirical correlations are developed for Nusselt number to determine the heat transfer coefficient with vibration with an error of $\pm$10%.     

环保用板翅式换热器的数值模拟与试验研究

选取矩形截面平直翅片板翅式换热器的矩形单通道运用fluent软件进行数值模拟。首先对不同波高和波距的三组九种几何尺寸的翅片在同一工况下进行数值模拟,选出每组中传热和阻力综合性能最优者。然后对选出的三种翅片在不同工况下进行数值模拟,最终选出一种传热和阻力综合性能最优的。并对实物换热器进行试验研究,同时将试验结果和数值模拟结果进行对比分析,验证了数值模拟的正确性。     

Numerical research on heat transfer and flow resistance performance of specially‐shaped rod baffle heat exchangers

In order to overcome the disadvantages of heat transfer performance in the shell side of the common circular cross section rod baffle heat exchanger with a low Reynolds number, a numerical simulation on fluid flow and heat transfer in the shell side with different types of rod baffles is carried out. The rod baffles include the circular cross section, trigonal cross section, and rhombic cross section. The influence of heat transfer enhancement and flow resistance reduction affected by baffles is summarized. It is indicated that the trigonal and rhombic cross section rod baffles present the better performance of heat transfer enhancement and flow resistance reduction. With the rhombic cross section rod baffles in the shell side, the higher heat transfer coefficient and overall property in the shell side are achieved when Re is lower, and the heat transfer coefficient in the shell side is 10% higher than that of a circular cross section rod baffle at the same Reynolds number. The trigonal and rhombic cross section rod baffles in the shell side give more optional structure forms for expanding the application scope of rod baffle heat exchangers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20388     

Experimental investigation of header configuration on two-phase flow distribution in plate-fin heat exchanger

The two-phase flow distribution in a plate-fin heat exchanger has been experimentally studied under different operation conditions. The results indicate that two-phase flow distribution is more complex and nonuniform than that of single-phase flow. The distribution uniformity of liquid-phase deteriorates with the decrease of Re_gas and Re_liq. The distribution uniformity of gas-phase deteriorates with Re_liq, but improves with Re_gas. The improved header with perforated baffle can effectively improve the uniformity of two-phase flow distribution and dryness distribution. The values of S_liq, S_gas and S_dry decrease by 5.4–44.0%, 4.7–35.0% and 11.7–30.0%, respectively. The conclusion is of great significance in the optimum design of plate-fin heat exchanger.     

Numerical study on the effects of design parameters on the heat transfer performance of coaxial deep borehole heat exchanger

Deep borehole heat exchanger (DBHE) is attracting attention intensively owing to much more geothermal extraction, higher efficiency for heat pumps, and lesser land demand compared with shallow borehole heat exchanger. DBHE is usually dipped into several thousand meters in the subsurface, having a complicated heat transfer with surrounding rock–soil. However, the heat transfer characteristics below surface under different conditions are rarely studied. In this study, a numerical model considering the comprehensive effects of geothermal gradients and heat loss from inner pipe was proposed. The model was validated with experimental data and Beier analytical solution. Based on the model, the effects of primary design parameters on the heat transfer performance below surface along the pipe were investigated. The results indicate that temperature at pipe bottom increases with inlet flow rate decreasing, while the heat load cannot be extracted fully to the surface because of the heat loss of inner pipe. When the inlet flow rates decrease from 41.39 to 4.52 m³/h, the heat loss ratio increases from 25.5% to 63.7%. It is an effective way of insulating inner pipe to reduce heat loss under low inlet flow rates. Increasing the velocity in inner pipe by lessening the inner pipe diameter can also decline the heat loss well. While by this way, the increasing pumping power resulting from the higher velocity in inner pipe has to be considered. This study is significant to effective optimization of DBHE and energy conservation of buildings.