For The Wavy Fin and Flat Fin
For The Wavy Fin and Flat Fin
For The Wavy Fin and Flat Fin
www.elsevier.com/locate/apthermeng
Heat transfer and pressure drop correlations for the wavy n and
at tube heat exchangers
Dong Junqi
a
a,*
Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
b
Zhejing Yinlun Machine Co. Ltd., Zhejiang 317200, China
Received 23 August 2006; accepted 29 November 2006
Available online 12 January 2007
Abstract
A total of 11 cross-ow heat exchangers having wavy n and at tube were studied experimentally. A series of tests were conducted
for air side Reynolds number in the range of 8006500 with dierent n pitches, n lengths and n heights, at a constant tube-side water
ow rate of 2.5 m3/h. The air side thermal performance data were analyzed using the eectiveness-NTU method. The characteristics of
heat transfer and pressure drop for dierent geometry parameters were reported in terms of Colburn j-factor and Fanning friction factor
f, as a function of Re. The eects of n pitch, n height and n length on the performance of heat transfer and pressure drop were examined. The general correlations for j and f factors were derived by multiple linear regression analysis and F test of signicance. The correlations for j and f factors can predict 95% of the experimental data within 10%.
2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Flat tube heat exchangers; Performance testing; Wavy n; Correlation
1. Introduction
Extended or nned surfaces are widely used in compact
heat exchanger to enhance the heat transfer and reduce the
size. Common among these are automobile radiators,
charge air coolers, automobile air-conditioning evaporators and condensers to meet the demand for saving energy
and resources. In these applications, the heat transfer is
normally limited by the thermal resistance on the air side
of the heat exchangers. Therefore, various augmented surfaces have been developed to improve air side heat transfer
performance. Typical n geometries are plain ns, wavy
ns, oset strip ns, perforated ns and multi-louvered
ns, which, besides increasing the surface area density of
the exchanger, also improve the convection heat transfer
coecients. Of these, wavy ns are particularly attractive
for their simplicity of manufacture and potentials for
1359-4311/$ - see front matter 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2006.11.012
2067
Nomenclature
A
2A
Ac
Ao
Af
C
C*
Cp
De
d
Fh
Fp
f
h
hw
j
k
kc
ke
Ld
L
l
l0
m0
m_
NTU
Nu
N
Pr
Dp
area (m2)
twice of wavy n amplitude (mm)
minimum free-low area for air side (m2)
total air side heat transfer surface area (m2)
n surface area (m2)
heat capacity rate (W/k)
capacity ratio
specic heat at constant pressure (J/kg K)
hydraulic diameter of n entrance (m)
hydraulic diameter of tube hole (mm)
n height (mm)
n pitch (mm)
fanning friction factor
n heat transfer coecient of air side (W/m2 K)
heat transfer coecient of water side (W/m2 K)
Colburn j factor
thermal conductivity (W/(m K))
abrupt contraction pressure-loss coecient
abrupt expansion pressure-loss coecient
wavy n length (mm)
wavy n wavelength (mm)
length of at tube (mm)
Eq. (9), l 0 = Fp
h/2
Q
Qa
Qw
Re
Rew
T1
T2
u
u1
v
d
dwall
gf
ga
e
s
U
Subscripts
a
air side
cor
correlation
exp
experimental
f
n
Min
minimum value
Max
maximum value
w
water side
wall
tube wall
2068
pressure drop for the heat exchangers with dierent geometrical congurations are reported in terms of Colburn j
factor and Fanning friction factor f, as a function of Reynolds numbers based on the n entrance hydraulic diameter. The general correlations for j and f factors are
developed.
2. Experimental
2.1. Experimental set-up
Fig. 1 shows the schematic diagram of the wind tunnel
used in the study. Air and hot water were used as working
uids. The main components of the systems were the heat
exchangers, water ow loop, air supply, instrumentations
and data acquisition systems. The wind tunnel system
was designed to suck room air over the nned side of the
heat exchangers by a 15 kW centrifugal fan. The speed of
the fan could be adjusted by a frequency inverter. The tunnel was a rectangular duct 270 220 mm in cross-section.
To minimize heat loss to the surroundings, the tunnel surface was insulated with a 10 mm thick glass wool layer.
Being supported by stands of perforated steel plate, the
tunnel system was kept 75 cm above the oor level of the
laboratory.
The inlet and exit temperature across the air side of the
heat exchangers were measured by two T-type thermocouple meshes. The inlet measuring mesh consists of eight
thermocouples while the exit mesh contains sixteen thermocouples. These thermocouples were pre-calibrated which
have an accuracy of 0.1 C. The measuring points were
located at positions as described in the ASHRAE standard.
These data signals were individually recorded and then
18
17
12
14
1
10
8
11
15
13
Data acquisition system
1, air inlet
2, honey cone straightener
3, T/C inlet temperature
measuring station
4, pressure tap (inlet)
5, test unit
6, pressure tap (outlet)
7, T/C outlet temperature
measuring station
8, setting means
9, static pressure tap
10,
11,
12,
13,
14,
15,
16,
17,
18,
2069
Q Qw Qa =2;
Qw m_ w C pw T w1 T w2 ;
Qa m_ a C pa T a2 T a1 :
1
2
Eectiveness-NTU method can be used for obtaining airside heat transfer coecient. The equation for both uids
unmixed is [15],
NTU0:22 expC NTU0:78 1
;
C
C min
m_ a C pa
e Q=Qmax ; C
;
C max m_ w C pw
e 1 exp
3
4
Fp
Flat Tube
Fh
Fin
A
Fin
Ld
Flat Tube
A-A
Table 1
Specication of wavy n parameters (mm)
No.
Wavelength (L)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
2.0
2.25
2.5
2.0
2.25
2.5
2.0
2.25
2.5
2.0
2.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
8.0
10.0
65.0
65.0
65.0
53.0
53.0
53.0
43.0
43.0
43.0
43.0
43.0
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
10.8
10.8
10.8
10.8
10.8
10.8
10.8
10.8
10.8
10.8
10.8
gf
Af
1 gf ;
Ao
tanhm0 l0
;
m 0 l0
s
2h
0
m
;
kf d
8
l F h =2:
0.12
Fp=2.00mm Ld=65mm
Fp=2.25mm Ld=65mm
Fp=2.50mm Ld=65mm
0.012
0.08
0.01
The core friction of the heat exchangers was reduced to obtain the Fanning friction factor f. In present study, the pressure drop equation proposed by Kays and London [14],
including the entrance and exit pressure losses, was used to
evaluate the friction factor. The air is treaded as incompressible uid, and the density of air is treated as constant according to average air temperature. The simple equation is
Ac
2Dp
f
kc ke ;
11
qu21
Ao
ui D e
12
Re
v
0.008
0.04
0.006
0.004
600
800 1000
2000
4000
6000
8000
Re
0.014
0.12
Fh=7.0mm Ld=43mm
Fh=8.0mm Ld=43mm
Fh=10.0mmLd=43mm
0.012
0.08
0.01
j factor
According to the geometry parameters of heat exchanger and the graph given by Kays and London [14], the kc
and ke are 0.4 and 0.2. Accounting for all instrument
errors, property uncertainties, and geometry tolerances,
the uncertainties for the j and f factors are 9.2% and
8.1%, respectively [18].
0.014
0.008
0.04
0.006
f factor
ga 1
f factor
1
1
1
dwall
:
hga Ao UA hw Aw k wall Awall
j factor
2070
800
2000
4000
6000
Re
2071
0.010
0.012
0.12
Ld=65mm Fh=8.0mm
Ld=53mm Fh=8.0mm
0.009
+10%
0.08
0.008
f factor
-10%
j cor
j factor
0.009
0.04
0.006
0.007
0.006
0.005
600
800
2000
4000
6000
Re
0.004
0.004
0.005
0.006
0.007
0.008
0.009
0.010
j exp
+10%
0.07
0.06
-10%
f cor
0.05
0.04
0.03
0.03
0.04
0.05
0.06
0.07
0.08
fexp
2072
0.018
j factor
0.015
0.012
0.009
0.006
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
Re
0.12
0.09
f factor
The authors acknowledge the nancial support of Zhejiang Yinlun Machine Co. Ltd. We are grateful to Dr.
Niu and Xianhui Zhang for providing the valuable comments. It would not have been possible to carry out this
study without their help.
0.06
References
0.03
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
Re
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