Air-Side Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Characteristics of Multi-Louver Fin and Flat Tube Heat Exchangers

Abstract

Abstract An experimental study on the air-side heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics for multi-louvered fin and flat tube heat exchangers has been performed. For 45 heat exchangers with different louver angles (15–29°), fin pitches (1.0, 1.2, 1.4 mm) and flow depths (16, 20, 24 mm), a series of tests were conducted for the air-side Reynolds numbers of 100–600, at a constant tube-side water flow rate of 0.32 m3/h. The inlet temperatures of the air and water for heat exchangers were 21°C and 45°C, respectively. The air-side thermal performance data were analyzed using effectiveness-NTU method for cross-flow heat exchanger with both fluids unmixed. The heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop data for heat exchangers with different geometrical configurations were reported in terms of Colburn j-factor and Fanning friction factor f, as functions of Reynolds number based on louver pitch. Correlations for j and f factors are developed and compared to other correlations.