Numerical heat transfer study of turbulent square-duct flow through inline V-shaped discrete ribs

A numerical work has been conducted to examine turbulent periodic flow and heat transfer characteristics in a three dimensional square-duct with inline 60° V-shaped discrete thin ribs placed on two opposite heated walls. The isothermal-flux condition is applied only to the upper and lower duct walls while the two sidewalls are insulated, similar to internal passage cooling of gas turbine blades. The computations are based on the finite volume method with the SIMPLE algorithm for handling the pressure–velocity coupling. Air is the working fluid with the flow rate in terms of Reynolds numbers ranging from 10,000 to 25,000. The numerical result is validated with available square-rib measured data and found to agree well with measurement. The computation reveals that the ribbed duct flow is fully developed periodic flow and heat transfer profiles at about x/D = 7–11 downstream of the inlet. Effects of different rib height to duct diameter ratios, BR, on thermal characteristics for a periodic ribbed duct flow are investigated. It is found that a pair of counter-rotating vortices (P-vortex) caused by the rib can induce impingement/attachment flows on the walls leading to greater increase in heat transfer over the test duct. In addition, the rise of BR values leads to the increase in heat transfer and friction loss. The maximum thermal performance is around 1.8 for the rib with BR = 0.0725 where the heat transfer rate is about 4.0 times above the smooth duct at lower Reynolds number.     

Shape optimization of inclined ribs as heat transfer augmentation device

This work presents numerical optimization techniques for the design of a rectangular channel with inclined ribs toenhance turbulent heat transfer.The response surface method with Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes analysis isused for optimization.Shear stress transport turbulence model is used as a turbulence closure.Computational re-sults for local heat transfer rate show a reasonable agreement with the experimental data.Width-to-rib height ratioand attack angle of the rib are chosen as design variables.The objective function is defined as a linear combina-tion of heat-transfer and friction-loss related terms with the weighting factor.Full-factorial experimental designmethod is used to determine the data points.Optimum shapes of the channel have been obtained in a range of theweighting factor.     

Turbulent flow heat transfer and pressure loss in a double pipe heat exchanger with louvered strip inserts

In the present work, heat transfer and friction characteristics were experimentally investigated, employing louvered strips inserted in a concentric tube heat exchanger. The louvered strip was inserted into the tube to generate turbulent flow which helped to increase the heat transfer rate of the tube. The flow rate of the tube was in a range of Reynolds number between 6000 and 42,000. The turbulent flow devices were consisted of (1) the louvered strips with forward or backward arrangements, and (2) the louvered strip with various inclined angles (θ = 15°, 25° and 30°), inserted in the inner tube of the heat exchanger. In the experiment, hot water was flowed through the inner tube whereas cold water was flowed in the annulus. The experimental data obtained were compared with those from plain tubes of published data. Experimental results confirmed that the use of louvered strips leads to a higher heat transfer rate over the plain tube. The increases in average Nusselt number and friction loss for the inclined forward louvered strip were 284% and 413% while those for the backward louvered strip were 263% and 233% over the plain tube, respectively. In addition, the use of the louvered strip with backward arrangement leads to better overall enhancement ratio than that with forward arrangement around 9% to 24%.     

Turbulent heat transfer in a horizontal helically coiled tube

An experiment has been conducted in detail to study the turbulent heat transfer in horizontal helically coiled tubes over a wide range of experimental parameters. We found that the enhancement of heat transfer in the coils results from the effects of turbulent and secondary flows. With Reynolds number increasing to a high level, the contribution of the secondary flow becomes less to enhance heat transfer, and the average heat transfer coefficient of the coil is closer to that in straight tubes under the same conditions. The local heat transfer coefficients are not evenly distributed along both the tube axis and the periphery on the cross section. The local heat transfer coefficients on the outside are three or four times those on the inside, which is half of the average heat transfer. A correlation is proposed to describe the distribution of the heat transfer coefficients at a cross section. The average cross-section heat transfer coefficients are distributed along the tube axis. The average value at the outlet section should not be taken as the average heat transfer coefficient. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Asian Res, 28(5): 395–403, 1999     

Turbulent heat transfer enhancement in a heat exchanger using helically corrugated tube

The augmentation of convective heat transfer in a single-phase turbulent flow by using helically corrugated tubes has been experimentally investigated. Effects of pitch-to-diameter ratio (P/D_H = 0.18, 0.22 and 0.27) and rib-height to diameter ratio (e/D_H = 0.02, 0.04 and 0.06) of helically corrugated tubes on the heat transfer enhancement, isothermal friction and thermal performance factor in a concentric tube heat exchanger are examined. The experiments were conducted over a wide range of turbulent fluid flow of Reynolds number from 5500 to 60,000 by employing water as the test fluid. Experimental results show that the heat transfer and thermal performance of the corrugated tube are considerably increased compared to those of the smooth tube. The mean increase in heat transfer rate is between 123% and 232% at the test range, depending on the rib height/pitch ratios and Reynolds number while the maximum thermal performance is found to be about 2.3 for using the corrugated tube with P/D_H = 0.27 and e/D_H = 0.06 at low Reynolds number. Also, the pressure loss result reveals that the average friction factor of the corrugated tube is in a range between 1.46 and 1.93 times over the smooth tube. In addition, correlations of the Nusselt number, friction factor and thermal performance factor in terms of pitch ratio (P/D_H), rib-height ratio (e/D_H), Reynolds number (Re), and Prandtl number (Pr) for the corrugated tube are determined, based on the curve fitting of the experimental data.     

Turbulent heat transfer and flow characteristics in a horizontal circular tube with strip-type inserts. Part II. Heat transfer

This paper is the second of two papers that presents the results of an extensive study of turbulent heat transfer and pressure drop in a horizontal tubes with strip-type inserts. Experimental data were taken for air for a class of strip inserts (longitudinal strip and crossed-strip). The insert was characterized by the parameters of 1?AR?5 and R^* (=0.5 and 1). Friction factor data (from Part I) and temperature measurements were used to understand the underlying physical phenomena responsible for the heat transfer enhancement for 6500?Re?19500. Nusselt numbers were between four and two times the bare tube values at low Re and high Re, respectively. Performance evaluation index R1 (constant pumping power) and R2 (constant heat duty) were made and an optimum condition would be thus found.     

Pool boiling heat transfer on the tube surface in an inclined annulus

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the pool boiling heat transfer in an inclined annular tube submerged in a pool of saturated water at atmospheric pressure. The outer diameter and the length of the heated inner tube were 25.4 mm and 500 mm, respectively. The gap size of the annulus was 15 mm. For the tests, annuli with both open and closed bottoms were considered. The inclination angle was varied from the horizontal position to the vertical position. At a given heat flux, the heat transfer coefficient was increased with the inclination angle increase. Effects of the inclination angle on heat transfer were more clearly observed in the annulus with open bottoms. The main cause for the tendencies was considered as the difference in the intensity of liquid agitation and bubble coalescence due to the enclosure by the outer tube. One of the important factors in the annulus with open bottom was the convective fluid flow.     

Turbulent heat transfer and pressure drop in tube fitted with serrated twisted tape

This paper presents an original experimental study on compound heat transfer enhancement in a tube fitted with serrated twisted tape. The serrations on two sides of the twisted tape with twist ratio of 1.56, 1.88, 2.81 or ∞ are the square-sectioned ribs with the identical rib-pitch and rib-height. The local Nusselt number and Fanning friction factor increase as the twist ratio decreases in the tube fitted with smooth or serrated twisted tape. In the Re range of 5000–25 000, heat transfer augmentation attributed to the serrated twisted tape falls in the range of 250–480% of the plain-tube level. That is about 1.25–1.67 times the heat transfer level in the tube fitted with smooth twisted tape. Fanning friction factors are respectively decreased and increased in the tubes fitted with smooth and serrated twisted tapes as Re increases. Based on the same pumping power consumption, the thermal performances of the tubes with smooth and serrated twisted tapes are compared. A set of empirical correlations that permits the evaluation of the Nusselt number and the Fanning friction factor in the developed flow region for the tubes fitted with smooth and serrated twisted tapes is generated for engineering applications.     

Endwall heat transfer and fluid flow around an inclined short cylinder

Measurements of endwall heat transfer and flow field around a short single cylinder have been performed to examine the influence of cylinder inclination at low Reynolds number (Re_D = 1.0 × 10⁴). Both ends of the cylinder are attached to the endwalls and the length-to-diameter ratio of the cylinder varies from 2.7 to 4, depending on the inclination angle. Endwall heat transfer contours (obtained from transient liquid crystals) and endwall flow visualization results consistently indicate that the interaction between the horseshoe vortices around the cylinder and the wakes shed from the cylinder varies with the inclination. Spanwise pressure gradient induced by the inclination causes: (i) skewing of the upstream main flow as it approaches the cylinder; (ii) formation of a jet-like flow immediately downstream of the cylinder, followed by its impingement onto the endwall; and (iii) skewed separation line along the cylinder span from the cylinder axis.     

Turbulent heat transfer and flow characteristics in a horizontal circular tube with strip-type inserts. Part I. Fluid mechanics

This paper is the first of two papers that present the result of a study of turbulent flow and pressure drop in a horizontal tube with strip type inserts. Experimental data taken for air for a class of strip type inserts (longitudinal, LS and cross, CS inserts) used as a tube side heat transfer augmentative device for a single-phase cooling mode operation are presented. To broaden the understanding of the underlying physical phenomena responsible for the heat transfer enhancement, flow mechanisms through velocity measurements are combined with pressure drop measurements to develop friction factor correlations for 6500?Re?19500 where Re is the Reynolds number. Friction factor increases were typically between 1.1 and 1.5 from low Re(≅6500) to high Re(≅19500) with respect to bare tubes.     

Heat transfer characteristics in double tube helical heat exchangers using nanofluids

In the present work a three-dimensional analysis is used to study the heat transfer characteristics of a double-tube helical heat exchangers using nanofluids under laminar flow conditions. CuO and TiO₂ nanoparticles with diameters of 24 nm dispersed in water with volume concentrations of 0.5–3 vol.% are used as the working fluid. The mass flow rate of the nanofluid from the inner tube was kept and the mass flow rate of the water from the annulus was set at either half, full, or double the value. The variations of the nanofluids and water temperatures, heat transfer rates and heat transfer coefficients along inner and outer tubes are shown in the paper. Effects of nanoparticles concentration level and of the Dean number on the heat transfer rates and heat transfer coefficients are presented. The results show that for 2% CuO nanoparticles in water and same mass flow rate in inner tube and annulus, the heat transfer rate of the nanofluid was approximately 14% greater than of pure water and the heat transfer rate of water from annulus than through the inner tube flowing nanofluids was approximately 19% greater than for the case which through the inner and outer tubes flow water. The results also show that the convective heat transfer coefficients of the nanofluids and water increased with increasing of the mass flow rate and with the Dean number. The results have been validated by comparison of simulations with the data computed by empirical equations.     

Flow Pattern and Heat Transfer Behavior of Boiling Two—Phase flow in Inclined Pipes

Movable Electrical Conducting Probe (MECP), a kind of simple and reliable measuring transducer, used for predicting full-flow-path flow pattern in a boiling vapor/liquid two-phase flow is introduced in this paper. When the test pipe is set at different inclination angles, several kinds of flow patterns, such as bubble, slug, churn, intermittent, and annular flows, may be observed in accordance with the locations of MECP. By means of flow pattern analysis, flow field numerical calculations have been carried out, and heat transfer coefficient correlations along full-flow-path derived. The results show that heat transfer performance of boiling two-phase flow could be significantly augmented as expected in some flow pattern zones.The results of the investigation, measuring techniques and conclusions contained in this paper would be a useful reference in foundational research for prediction of flow pattern and heat transfer behavior in boiling two-phase flow, as well as for turbine vane liquid-cooling design.     

Turbulent heat transfer in a channel flow with arbitrary directional system rotation

Arbitrary directional system rotation of a channel flow can be decomposed into simultaneous componential rotations in the three orthogonal directions. In order to study its effect on turbulent heat transfer, three typical cases, i.e., combined spanwise and streamwise (Case I), streamwise and wall-normal (Case II), and wall-normal and spanwise rotations (Case III), are simulated with two of the three coordinate-axial rotations imposed on the system. In Case I, the effect of spanwise rotation dominates the heat transfer mechanism when the two componential rotation rates are comparable. However, if the streamwise rotation is much stronger than the spanwise rotation, the turbulent heat transfer can be enhanced on the two walls, but more strikingly on the suction side. In Case II, even though no explicit spanwise rotation is imposed on the system, the combined rotations also bring the enhancement/reduction of turbulent heat transfer on the pressure/suction side, respectively, which is similar to that in a spanwise rotating channel flow. In Case III, the spanwise rotation effect is still obvious, however, its effect is reduced somewhat due to the redirection of the mean flow by the wall-normal rotation.     

Turbulent unsteady flow and heat transfer in channels with periodically mounted square bars

A numerical investigation was conducted to analyze the unsteady turbulent flowfield and heat transfer characteristics in a channel with streamwise periodically mounted square bars arranged side-by-side to the approaching flow. The transverse separation distance between the bars is varied, whereas the bar height to channel height (d/H) are 0.152 and 0.2, the Reynolds number Re based on channel height is 2×10⁴ and the periodicity length is 2H. The channel walls are subjected to a constant wall temperature. The k-ε turbulence model was used in conjunction with the Reynolds-averaged momentum and energy equations for the simulations. A finite volume technique is applied with a fine grid and time resolution. Complex periodic vortex shedding develops in the channel due the interaction between the two streamwise periodically mounted square bars. Results show that the unsteady flow behavior, pressure drop and heat transfer are strongly dependent of the transverse separation distance of the bars.     

Transition and flow boiling heat transfer inside a horizontal tube

Experiments on transition and flow boiling heat transfer with refrigerant R114 inside a horizontal tube were performed at bubble flow, critical heat flux and in the transition region between bubble flow and film boiling at mass fluxes between 1200 and 4000 kg/m² s and in the pressure range between 5 and 15 bar. In comparison with pool boiling bubble flow heat transfer depends essentially on the mass flow rates and on the vapor quality. The critical heat flux depends less on the temperature difference than in pool boiling heat transfer and exhibits a maximal and a minimal value as a function of the pressure. The critical heat flux increases with mass flow rate as already shown by Collier. In the region of transition boiling the heat flux over the difference between wall and saturation temperature approaches a horizontal curve. Therefore in this region an evaporator may always be operated under stable conditions and burn out does not occur.     

Fin-tube junction effects on flow and heat transfer in flat tube multilouvered heat exchangers

Three-dimensional simulations of four louver-tube junction geometries are performed to investigate the effect on louver and tube friction and heat transfer characteristics. Three Reynolds numbers, 300, 600 and 1100, based on bulk velocity and louver pitch are calculated. Strong three-dimensionality exists in the flow structure in the region where the angled louver transitions to a flat landing adjoining the tube surface, whereas the flow on the angled louver far from the tube surface is nominally two-dimensional. Due to the small spatial extent of the transition region, its overall impact on louver heat transfer is limited, but the strong unsteady flow acceleration on the top louver surface augments the heat transfer coefficient on the tube surface by over 100%. In spite of the augmentation, the presence of the tube lowers the overall Nusselt number of the heat exchanger between 25% and 30%. Comparisons with correlations derived from experiments on full heat exchanger cores show that computational modeling of a small subsystem can be used reliably to extract performance data for the full heat exchanger.     

Turbulent convective heat transfer of methane at supercritical pressure in a helical coiled tube

The heat transfer of methane at supercritical pressure in a helically coiled tube was numerically investigated using the Reynolds Stress Model under constant wall temperature. The effects of mass flux (G), inlet pressure (P_in) and buoyancy force on the heat transfer behaviors were discussed in detail. Results show that the light fluid with higher temperature appears near the inner wall of the helically coiled tube. When the bulk temperature is less than or approach to the pseudocritical temperature (T _pc ), the combined effects of buoyancy force and centrifugal force make heavy fluid with lower temperature appear near the outer-right of the helically coiled tube. Beyond the T _pc , the heavy fluid with lower temperature moves from the outer-right region to the outer region owing to the centrifugal force. The buoyancy force caused by density variation, which can be characterized by Gr/Re² and Gr/Re^2.7, enhances the heat transfer coefficient (h) when the bulk temperature is less than or near the T _pc , and the h experiences oscillation due to the buoyancy force. The oscillation is reduced progressively with the increase of G. Moreover, h reaches its peak value near the T _pc . Higher G could improve the heat transfer performance in the whole temperature range. The peak value of h depends on P_in. A new correlation was proposed for methane at supercritical pressure convective heat transfer in the helical tube, which shows a good agreement with the present simulated results.     

Study on the heat transfer and flow characteristics in a spiral-coil tube

In the present study, numerical and experimental results of the heat transfer and flow characteristics of the horizontal spiral-coil tube are investigated. The spiral-coil tube is fabricated by bending a 8.00 mm diameter straight copper tube into a spiral-coil of five turns. The innermost and outermost diameters of the spiral-coil are 270.00 and 406.00 mm, respectively. Hot and cold water are used as working fluids. The k-ε standard two-equation turbulence model is applied to simulate the turbulent flow and heat transfer characteristics. The main governing equations are solved by a finite volume method with an unstructured nonuniform grid system. Experiments are performed to obtain the heat transfer and flow characteristics for verifying the numerical results. Reasonable agreement is obtained from the comparison between the results from the experiment and those obtained from the model. In addition, the Nusselt number and pressure drop per unit length obtained from the spiral-coil tube are 1.49 and 1.50 times higher than those from the straight tube, respectively.     

Turbulent convective transfer in plate heat exchangers

Readily available data on turbulent transfer in plate heat exchangers can be correlated by a heat transfer-energy dissipation analogy:

$\text{Nu}\text{g}{}_1\text{(pr, Vi)}\text{=C}{}_3\text{(fRe}{}_3\text{)}{}_{\mathrm{\delta }}$

in which the Nusselt number modified for changes in the Prandtl number and bulk to wall viscosity ratio Vi is related to the friction factor f and the Reynolds number. The exponent e is a weak function of the coefficient C₃ which depends on the corrugation geometry.When using chevron or herringbone type patterns the heat transfer depends significantly on the angle between the plate corrugation and the main flow direction. If this angle is π/4 the heat transfer per unit of mechanical energy dissipated is a maximum. Although maximum transfer (with maximum pressure drop) is obtained at π/2, a more practical angle giving high transfer at moderate pressure drops in 2π/5.