Numerical simulation of heat transfer enhancement by strip-coil-baffles in tube-bundle for a tube-shell heat exchanger

A novel strip-coil-baffle structure used to enhance heat transfer and support the tube bundle for a tube-shell heat exchanger is proposed. The new structure can sleeve the tubes in bundle alternatively to create a vortex flow in a heat exchanger. The numerical simulation on the flow and heat transfer characteristics for this new structure heat exchanger is conducted. The computational domain consists of two strip-coil sleeved tubes and two bare tubes oppositely placed at each comer of a square. The velocity and temperature fields in such strip-coil-baffled channel are simulated using FLUENT software. The effects of the strip-coil-baffles on heat transfer enhancement and flow resistance in relation to the Reynolds number are analyzed. The results show that this new structure bundle can enhance the heat transfer coefficient up to a range of 40% to 55% in comparison with a bare tube bundle; meanwhile, higher flow resistance is also accompanied. It is believe that the strip-coil- baffled heat exchanger should have promising applications in many industry fields.

Research on shell-side heat and mass transfer with multi-component in LNG spiral-wound heat exchanger under sloshing conditions

The spiral-wound heat exchanger(SWHE) is the primary low-temperature heat exchanger for large-scale LNG plants due to its high-pressure resistance, compact structure, and high heat exchange efficiency. This paper studied the shell-side heat and mass transfer characteristics of vapor-liquid two-phase mixed refrigerants in an SWHE by combining a multi-component model in FLUENT software with a customized multicomponent mass transfer model. Besides, the mathematical model under the sloshing condition was obtained through mathematical derivation, and the corresponding UDF code was loaded into FLUENT as the momentum source term. The results under the sloshing conditions were compared with the relevant parameters under the steady-state condition. The shell-side heat and mass transfer characteristics of the SWHE were investigated by adjusting the component ratio and other working conditions. It was found that the sloshing conditions enhance the heat transfer performance and sometimes have insignificant effects. The sloshing condition is beneficial to reduce the flow resistance. The comprehensive performance of multi-component refrigerants has been improved and the improvement is more significant under sloshing conditions, considering both the heat transfer and pressure drop.These results will provide theoretical support for the research and design of multi-component heat and mass transfer enhancement of LNG SWHE under ocean sloshing conditions.

Topology Optimization of Two Fluid Heat Transfer Problems for Heat Exchanger Design

Topology optimization of thermal-fluid coupling problems has received widespread attention.This article proposes a novel topology optimization method for laminar two-fluid heat exchanger design.The proposed method utilizes an artificial density field to create two permeability interpolation functions that exhibit opposing trends,ensuring separation between the two fluid domains.Additionally,a Gaussian function is employed to construct an interpolation function for the thermal conductivity coefficient.Furthermore,a computational program has been developed on the OpenFOAM platform for the topology optimization of two-fluid heat exchangers.This program leverages parallel computing,significantly reducing the time required for the topology optimization process.To enhance computational speed and reduce the number of constraint conditions,we replaced the conventional pressure drop constraint condition in the optimization problem with a pressure inlet/outlet boundary condition.The 3D optimization results demonstrate the characteristic features of a surface structure,providing valuable guidance for designing heat exchangers that achieve high heat exchange efficiency while minimizing excessive pressure loss.At the same time,a new structure appears in large-scale topology optimization,which proves the effectiveness and stability of the topology optimization program written in this paper in large-scale calculation.

Combining reinforcement learning with mathematical programming:An approach for optimal design of heat exchanger networks

Heat integration is important for energy-saving in the process industry.It is linked to the persistently challenging task of optimal design of heat exchanger networks(HEN).Due to the inherent highly nonconvex nonlinear and combinatorial nature of the HEN problem,it is not easy to find solutions of high quality for large-scale problems.The reinforcement learning(RL)method,which learns strategies through ongoing exploration and exploitation,reveals advantages in such area.However,due to the complexity of the HEN design problem,the RL method for HEN should be dedicated and designed.A hybrid strategy combining RL with mathematical programming is proposed to take better advantage of both methods.An insightful state representation of the HEN structure as well as a customized reward function is introduced.A Q-learning algorithm is applied to update the HEN structure using theε-greedy strategy.Better results are obtained from three literature cases of different scales.

Performance analysis of deep borehole heat exchangers for decarbonization of heating systems

Meeting the climate change mitigation targets will require a substantial shift from fossil to clean fuels in the heating sector.Heat pumps with deep borehole exchangers are a promising solution to reduce emissions.Here the thermal behavior of deep borehole exchangers(DBHEs)ranging from 1 to 2 km was analyzed for various heat flow profiles.A strong correlation between thermal energy extraction and power output from DBHEs was found,also influenced by the heating profile employed.Longer operating time over the year typically resulted in higher energy production,while shorter one yielded higher average thermal power output,highlighting the importance of the choice of heating strategy and system design for optimal performance of DBHEs.Short breaks in operation for regenerating the borehole,for example,with waste heat,proved to be favorable for the performance yielding an overall heat output close to the same as with continuous extraction of heat.The results demonstrate the usefulness of deep boreholes for dense urban areas with less available space.As the heat production from a single DBHE in Finnish conditions ranges from half up to even a few GWh a year,the technology is best suitable for larger heat loads.

Mathematical Modelling and Design of Helical Coil Heat Exchanger for Production of Hot Air for Fluidized Bed Dryer

In global industrialization, efforts have been made to increase the rate of heat transfer in heat exchanger, minimizing the size of heat exchanger to reduce cost as well as increasing the effectiveness. Helical coil heat exchanger (HCHE) has been proven to be effective in improving heat transfer due to its large surface area. In this study, HCHE was designed to provide hot air needed for fluidized bed drying processes. The HCHE design model was fabricated and evaluated to study the efficiency of the hot air output for a laboratory fluidized bed dryer. The mathematical model for estimation of the final (output) temperature of air, Taf, passing through the HCHE was developed and validated experimentally. The drying of bitter kola particulates was carried out with a drying temperature of 50C 3C and a bed height-to-bed diameter ratio (H/D) of 1.5. The time taken to dry bitter kola particulates to 0.4% moisture content was 1 hour 45 minutes. Hence, HCHE is recommended for use in the production of hot for laboratory-scale fluidized bed dryers.

Analysis of influence of heat exchangerfouling on heat transfer performancebased on thermal fluid coupling

A study on heat transfer performance by thermal fluid coupling simulation for the fouling in a shell-tube heat exchanger used in engineering was presented. The coupling simulation was performed in a fluid and solid domains under three different fouling conditions: fouling inside the tube, fouling outside the tube, and fouling inside the shell. The flow field, temperature, and pressure distributions in the heat exchanger were solved numerically to analyze the heat transfer performance parameters, such as thermal resistance. It is found that the pressure drop of the heat exchanger and the thermal resistance of the tube wall increase by nearly 30% and 20%, respectively, when the relative fouling thickness reaches 10%. The fouling inside the tube has more impact on the heat transfer performance of the heat exchanger, and the fouling inside the shell has less impact.

CFD-Based Optimization of a Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger

The main objective of this study is the technical optimization of a Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger(STHE).In order to do so,a simulation model is introduced that takes into account the related gas-phase circulation.Then,simulation verification experiments are designed in order to validate the model.The results show that the tem-peraturefield undergoes strong variations in time when an inlet wind speed of 6 m/s is considered,while the heat transfer error reaches a minimum of 5.1%.For an inlet velocity of 9 m/s,the heat transfer drops to the lowest point,while the heat transfer error reaches a maximum,i.e.,9.87%.The pressure drop increasesfirst and then decreases with an increase in the wind speed and reaches a maximum of 819 Pa under the 9 m/s wind speed con-dition.Moreover,the pressure drops,and the heat transfer coefficient increases with the Reynolds number.

Simulation and Optimization of the Fluid Solidification Process in Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers

When a brazed plate heat exchanger is used as an evaporator,the working mass in the channel may undergo soli-dification,thereby hindering the refrigeration cycle.In this study the liquid solidification process and its optimi-zation in a brazed plate heat exchanger are investigated numerically for different inlet velocities;moreover,different levels of corrugation are considered.The results indicate that solidificationfirst occurs around the con-tacts,followed by the area behind the contacts.It is also shown that deadflow zones exist in the sharp areas and such areas are prone to liquid solidification.After optimization,the solidification area attains its smallest value when a corrugation spacingλ=4.2 mm is considered.

Evaluation of Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Performance by Using ZnO/Water Nanofluids

To examine and investigate the impact of nanofluid on heat exchanger performance,including the total heat transfer,the effect of friction factor,the average Nusselt number,and the thermal efficiency,the output heat transfers of a shell and tube heat exchanger using ZnO nanoparticles suspended in water has been conducted numerically.The governing equations were solved using finite volume techniques and CFD simulations with ANSYS/FLUENT Solver 2021.The nanoparticles volume fractions adopted are 0.2%and 0.35%that used in numerical computations under 200 to 1400 Reynolds numbers range.The increasing of temperature is approximately 13%from the bottom to the top of heat exchanger,while the maximum enhancement of Nusselt number is about 10%,19%for volume fractions 0.2%and 0.35%respectively.The elevated values of the friction factor at the volumetric ratios of 0.2%and 0.35%are 0.25%and 0.47%respectively.The findings demonstrate that the performance efficiency of shell and tube heat exchanger is enhanced due to the increase in Nusselt number.

Effect of the Arrangement of a New-Type of Turbulator Inserts on Heat Pipe Exchanger Performances

This research tests the effect of introducing turbulators of a new type into a circular tube heat exchanger under a constant and uniform longitudinal heatflux condition.A 45 mm diameter copper tube with a length of 1,350 mm is utilized with a solid disk being inserted inside the tube,which consists of three sections,each one containing two slots.The slot is cut at a 45 degree angle toward the inner tube surface,which results in diverging theflow toward the inner hot tube surface in order to enhance the heat transfer process.Air is considered as the workingfluid with Prandtl number 0.71.The Reynolds number spans the interval from 6,000–13,500,which indicates that the consideredflow is turbulent.The heat exchanger performance is studied and analyzed in terms of average Nusselt number.The experimental results show that the Nusselt number value is directly proportional to the increase of the Reynolds number,and the number of turbulators inserts.With the use of three novel turbulators,the heat transfer was about 3.15 times higher than that in the smooth tube and the friction factor was about 1.11.

Experiment Study on the Exhaust-Gas Heat Exchanger for Small and Medium-Sized Marine Diesel Engine

This paper aims to design a special exchanger to recover the exhaust gas heat of marine diesel engines used in small and medium-sized fishing vessels,which can then be used to heat water up to 55°C–85°C for membrane desalination devices to produce fresh water.A new exhaust-gas heat exchanger of fins and tube,with a reinforced heat transfer tube section,unequal spacing fins,a mixing zone between the fin groups and four routes tube bundle,was designed.Numerical simulations were also used to provide reference information for structural design.Experiments were carried out for exhaust gas waste heat recovery from a marine diesel engine in an engine test bench utilizing the heat exchanger.The experimental results show that the difference between heat absorption by water and heat reduction of exhaust gas is less than 6.5%.After the water flow rate was adjusted,the exhaust gas waste heat recovery efficiency was higher than 70%,and the exhaust-gas heat exchanger’s outlet water temperature was 55°C–85°C at different engine loads.This means that the heat recovery from the exhaust gas of a marine diesel engine meets the requirement to drive a membrane desalination device to produce fresh water for fishers working in small and medium-sized fishing vessels.

The Use of Models to Evaluate Corrosion Effects on Mild Steel Heat Exchanger in Water and Mono Ethanol Amine (MEA)

Heat exchanger is an important equipment used in process industries for cooling and heating purposes. Its design configuration which involves the flow of cold and hot fluids within the exchanger subjects it to corrosion attack. The article utilized the principle of mass and energy conservation in the development of weight and temperature models to study the effect of corrosion on mild steel coupon inside the exchanger containing water and Mono ethanol amine (MEA). The models developed were resolved analytically using Laplace Transform and simulated using Excel as simulation tool and data obtained from experiment in the laboratory to obtain profiles of weight loss and temperature as a function of time. The weight loss and performance of mild steel under various corrosive conditions were examined which indicates the effect of corrosion on the mild steel heat exchanger in water and MEA media. The result shows that water is more corrosive than MEA at higher temperatures and at lower temperatures of 35°C and 1 atm, MEA has inhibitive properties than water as indicated by the weight loss result with time. The comparative analysis between the results obtained from the model simulation and experimental results shows that the result obtained from the model is more reliable and demonstrated better performance characteristics as it clearly shows mild steel heat exchanger experiences more corrosive effect in water medium than MEA at higher temperatures. And at lower temperatures, MEA becomes more inhibitive and less corrosive than water. The model simulation results correlate with various literatures and hence, it is valid for future referencing.

Localized Theoretical Analysis of Thermal Performance of Individually Finned Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger for Air Conditioning with Freon R404A as Working Fluid

This work contributes to the improvement of energy-saving in air conditioning systems. The objective is to apply the thermal efficiency of heat exchangers for localized determination of the thermal performance of heat exchangers with individually finned heat pipes. The fundamental parameters used for performance analysis were the number of fins per heat pipe, the number of heat pipes, the inlet temperatures, and the flow rates of hot and cold fluids. The heat exchanger under analysis uses Freon 404A as a working fluid in an air conditioning system for cooling in the Evaporator and energy recovery in the Condenser. The theoretical model is localized and applied individually to the Evaporator, Condenser, and heat exchanger regions. The results obtained through the simulation are compared with experimental results that use a global approach for the heat exchanger. The thermal quantities obtained through the theoretical model in the mentioned regions are air velocity, Nusselt number, thermal effectiveness, heat transfer rate, and outlet temperature. The comparisons made with global experimental results are in excellent agreement, demonstrating that the localized theoretical approach developed is consistent and can be used as a comprehensive analysis tool for heat exchangers using heat pipes.

Localized Theoretical Analysis of Thermal Performance of Individually Finned Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger for Air Conditioning with Freon R404A as Working Fluid

This work contributes to the improvement of energy-saving in air conditioning systems. The objective is to apply the thermal efficiency of heat exchangers for localized determination of the thermal performance of heat exchangers with individually finned heat pipes. The fundamental parameters used for performance analysis were the number of fins per heat pipe, the number of heat pipes, the inlet temperatures, and the flow rates of hot and cold fluids. The heat exchanger under analysis uses Freon 404A as a working fluid in an air conditioning system for cooling in the Evaporator and energy recovery in the Condenser. The theoretical model is localized and applied individually to the Evaporator, Condenser, and heat exchanger regions. The results obtained through the simulation are compared with experimental results that use a global approach for the heat exchanger. The thermal quantities obtained through the theoretical model in the mentioned regions are air velocity, Nusselt number, thermal effectiveness, heat transfer rate, and outlet temperature. The comparisons made with global experimental results are in excellent agreement, demonstrating that the localized theoretical approach developed is consistent and can be used as a comprehensive analysis tool for heat exchangers using heat pipes.

Implementation of heat exchanger performance testing system of heat transfer and flow resistance

A heat transfer performance testing system is presented with its hardware structure, operation principle, and software control and measurement system. Working fluids of the subsystem include thermal conducting oil, compressed air, glycol water solution and water as the heating fluids, and air and water as the cooling fluids. The heat transfer performance testing of heat exchangers can be conducted not only for a conventional one heating fluid to one cooling fluid, but also for a compound air cooling heat exchanger with two or three heating fluids in parallel or in series. The control and measurement system is implemented based on a LabVIEW software platform, consisting of the data acquisition and process system, and the automotive operation and control system. By using advanced measuring instruments combined with sound computer software control, the testing system has characteristics of a compact structure, high accuracy, a wide range of testing scope and a friendly operation interface. The uncertainty of the total heat transfer coefficient K is less than 5%. The testing system provides a reliable performance testing platform for designing and developing new heat exchangers.

Analysis of secondary flow in shell-side channel of trisection helix heat exchangers

The flow characteristics of shell-side fluid in the tube-and-shell heat exchangers with trisection helical baffles with 35° inclined angles are numerically analyzed. The secondary flow distribution of the fluid in the shell-side channel is focused on. The results on meridian planes indicate that in the shell-side channel, the center part of fluid has an outward tendency because of the centrifugal force, and the peripheral region fluid has an inward tendency under the centripetal force. So in a spiral cycle, the fluid is divided into the upper and lower beams of streamlines, at the same time the Dean vortices are formed near the left baffle, and then the fluid turns to centripetal flow near the right baffle. Finally the two beams of streamlines merge in the main flow. The results of a number of parallel slices between two parallel baffles with the same sector in a swirl cycle also show the existence of the secondary flow and some backward flows at the V-gaps of the adjacent baffles. The secondary flows have a positive effect on mixing fluid by promoting the momentum and mass exchange between fluid particles near the tube wall and in the main stream, and thus they will enhance the heat transfer of the helix heat exchanger.

Performance comparison of heat exchangers using sextant/trisection helical baffles and segmental ones

The shell side flow fields of both sextant and trisection helical baffle heat exchangers are presented on meridian and multilayer hexagon slices.It verifies that the performance of sextant schemes is better than those of the other kinds of helical baffle heat exchangers.The main mechanisms are due to the restricted leakage flow in the minimized gaps with increased baffle number and by one row of tubes dampen the leakage flow in the circumferential overlapped area of the adjacent helical baffles.The performance features were simulated on two different angled sextant helical heat exchangers and each compared with two trisection ones of either identical helical pitch or identical incline angle.The results verified that the performances of helical heat exchangers are mainly determined by the helical pitch rather than the baffle incline angle.The average values of comprehensive index hoΔpo-1/3 of the trisection helical schemes T-24.1°and T-29.7°are correspondingly 3.47%and 3.34%lower than those of the sextant ones X-20°and X-25°with identical helical pitches.The comparison results show that the average values of shell side h.t.c.hoand comprehensive index hoΔpo-1/3 of the optimal dual helix sextant scheme DX30°are respectively 7.22%and 23.56%higher than those of the segment scheme S100.

Industrially Experimental Investigations and Development of the Curve-ROD Baffle Heat Exchanger

The conventional heat exchanger with segmental baffles is prone to bring forth fluid-induced vibration of heat transfer tubes and increase the pressure drop of shell-side greatly at higher fluid flow velocity. In order to avoid the above defects, the ROD-baffle heat exchanger has been developed. However, its collocation of heat transfer tubes is conventionally in square, which leads to fewer heat transfer area per unit volume. Based on the ROD-baffle heat exchanger, a new type curve-ROD baffle has been developed, and an industrial investigation of the curve-ROD baffle heat exchanger with normal triangular collocation has been carried into execution. In this paper, two equations using the Reynolds number were acquired to predict the heat transfer coefficients of the shell-side and tube-side. The experimental results show that the shell-side heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of the curve-ROD baffle heat exchanger are superior to those of the segmental baffle one.

Distribution performance of gas–liquid mixture in the shell side of spiral-wound heat exchangers

The non-uniformity of gas–liquid mixture is a critical issue which leads to the heat transfer deterioration of spiralwound heat exchangers(SWHEs).Two-phase mass flow rate and the content of gas are important parameters as well as structural parameters which have prominent influences on flow distribution uniformity of SWHE shell side.In order to investigate the influences of these parameters,an experimental test system was built using water and air as mediums and a novel distributor named"tubes distributor"was designed.The effects of mass flow rate and the content of gas on two-phase distribution performance were analyzed,where the mass flow rate ranged from 28.4 to 171.9 kg·h-1 and the content of gas changed from 0.2 to 0.8,respectively.The results showed that the mixture mass flow rate considerably influenced the liquid distribution than that of gas phase and the larger mass flow rate exhibited the better distribution uniformity of two-phase flow.It was also found that the tubes distributor had the better two-phase uniformity when the content of gas was around 0.4.Tube diameter played an important role in the distribution of gas phase and slit width was more significant for the uniformity of liquid phase.