The paper aims to present the mathematical modeling of plate fin and tube heat exchanger at small Reynolds numbers on the water side. The Reynolds number of the water flowing…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to present the mathematical modeling of plate fin and tube heat exchanger at small Reynolds numbers on the water side. The Reynolds number of the water flowing inside the tubes was varied in the range from 4,000 to 12,000.
Design/methodology/approach
A detailed analysis of transient response was modeled for the following changes in the operating parameters of the heat exchanger: a reduction in the water volume flow, an increase in the water volume flow and an increase in the water volume flow with a simultaneous reduction in the air flow velocity.
Findings
The results of the numerical simulation of a heat exchanger by using experimentally determined water-side heat transfer correlation and theoretical correlation derived for the transition tube flow agree very well. The relationship to calculate the air-side Nusselt number was determined experimentally. The correlation for the air-side Nusselt number was the same for the theoretical and experimental water side correlation.
Research limitations/implications
The correlation for the air-side Nusselt number as a function of the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers is based on the experimental data and was determined using the least squares method.
Originality/value
The form of the relationship that was used to approximate experimentally determined water-side Nusselt numbers is identical to the theoretically derived formula for the transition range. The experiments show that the relationship for the water-side Nusselt number in transition and turbulent flow regime that was obtained using theoretical analysis gives quite satisfactory results.