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Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A (Applied Physics & Engineering)  2015, Vol. 16 Issue (4): 279-294    DOI: 10.1631/jzus.A1400270
Civil Engineering and Mechanics     
Influence of fin arrangement on fluid flow and heat transfer in the inlet of a plate-fin heat exchanger
Jing-cheng Liu, Shu-you Zhang, Xin-yue Zhao, Guo-dong Yi, Zhi-yong Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power Transmission and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Design Institute of National Technology Research Center, Hangzhou Hangyang Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310004, China
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Abstract  Fin arrangement, which can cause temperature to be distributed non-uniformly and decrease heat exchange efficiency, can also affect fluid flow and distribution in different channels of a plate-fin heat exchanger. To reduce fluid maldistribution, the fluid flow and distribution should be investigated systematically. However, there is as yet no research reported on the fin arrangement effect. We investigated fluid flow and heat transfer at the inlet of a plate-fin heat exchanger by numerical calculation combined with simulation analysis. We simulated the fluid flow under seven kinds of fin arrangement, and analyzed the effects. The distribution of fluid parameters in four monitor positions among three sections was examined when the inlet flow velocity was 1 m/s with an inlet structure arranged with different numbers of fins. Denser fin arrangements among inlet, diversion, and heat exchange sections all intensify the turbulence at the outlet. With increase of arrangement density, the fluid flow direction will be changed and the fluid distribution inside the exchanger will be intensified to equalize the fluid temperature in different channels of the same layer. Furthermore, the effects of 18 combinations of fins in different sections on fluid flow were studied. Fin arrangements in different sections have more significant effect on turbulence than flow velocity and pressure; in comparison with the inlet and heat exchange sections, the diversion section has a significant effect on turbulence at the outlet of the heat exchanger.

Key wordsFin arrangement      Plate-fin heat exchanger      Heat transfer      Turbulence      Temperature equalization     
Received: 04 September 2014      Published: 03 April 2015
CLC:  TB657  
Cite this article:

Jing-cheng Liu, Shu-you Zhang, Xin-yue Zhao, Guo-dong Yi, Zhi-yong Zhou. Influence of fin arrangement on fluid flow and heat transfer in the inlet of a plate-fin heat exchanger. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A (Applied Physics & Engineering), 2015, 16(4): 279-294.

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http://www.zjujournals.com/xueshu/zjus-a/10.1631/jzus.A1400270     OR     http://www.zjujournals.com/xueshu/zjus-a/Y2015/V16/I4/279

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