Enhancing the thermal performance of a double pipe heat exchanger in turbulent flow conditions

Abstract

Heat exchangers with high thermal performance are required for industrial applications. Using heat transfer methodology in conjunction with simple design changes and assembly functions of heat exchangers could be an effective way to accomplish this. An experimental analysis was performed in this study to improve the heat transfer performance of a double pipe heat exchanger by implanting a flat strip spring turbulator (FST) within the heat exchanger's inner tube. The experimental investigation of the Double pipe heat exchanger in conjunction with three sets of FST turbulators (pitch: 15 cm, 10 cm, and 5 cm) for turbulent flow (Re 9000-38000) was carried out. The Nusselt number, friction factor ratio, and thermal performance factor of heat exchangers with FST at various pitches are found to be between 60 and 170, 1.44 and 1.76, and 0.94 and 1.06, respectively. The highest heat transfer achieved by using a flat spring turbulator is 20% for a pitch value of 5cm. In comparison to other sets of FST, a double pipe heat exchanger with FST pitch value of 10 cm has greater thermohydraulic performance. When compared to previous research, the experimental results obtained from this work at higher Reynolds numbers the friction factor are within a well-accepted range.

Keywords

• Heat exchanger
• spring turbulator
• thermal performance factor
• heat transfer coefficient
• Wilson plot

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