Natural convection of plate finned tube heat exchangers with two horizontal tubes in a chimney: Experimental and numerical study. (February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Han-Taw; Ma, Wei-Xuan; Lin, Pei-Yu
• Is Part Of: International journal of heat and mass transfer. Volume 147(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Subjects: Natural convection -- Plate finned tube -- Horizontaly aligned tubes -- IHCA and CFD; Heat -- Transmission -- Periodicals; Mass transfer -- Periodicals; Chaleur -- Transmission -- Périodiques; Transfert de masse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 621.4022
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2019.118948
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0017-9310

Abstract

Highlights: The velocity pattern and air temperature contours are consistent with existing isotherms or interferometric images. The zero-equation model is more suitable for this problem than other flow models. The proposed correlation is close to the inverse and numerical results obtained. Abstract: This study uses a hybrid method of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and inverse heat conduction analysis (IHCA) combined with experimental temperatures to investigate the natural convection of plate finned tube heat exchangers with two horizontal tubes located in a chimney. The influence of the position of the two heated tubes on the results obtained is considered. IHCA combined with experimental temperatures is used to estimate h ¯ and h ¯ b . Subsequently, the CFD commercial software combined with the obtained inverse results and experimental temperatures is employed to get the present results. The results reveal that the zero-equation turbulence model can be applied to determine more accurate results than the other two flow models. Therefore, the appropriate flow model for this study is the zero-equation turbulence model. The fringe pattern for each heated tube is mainly aligned in the vertical direction and the two plumes are slightly inclined toward the inward direction. The obtained velocity pattern and air temperature contour are consistent with existing interferometric images or isotherms. The proposed correlation between Ra and Nu agrees with the obtained inverse and CFD results.