Effect of Chevron Angles on the Thermal Performance of Corrugated Plate Heat Exchanger (CPHEs)

Abstract

Corrugated plate heat exchangers (CPHEs) possess a greater surface area for heat transfer and a heightened level of turbulence as a result of the corrugations. This study presents an experimental analysis comparing the thermal performance of a flat plate heat exchanger and a corrugated plate heat exchanger (CPHE) with varied corrugation angles. The analysis was conducted using water as the test fluid. The comprehensive testing has been carried out on CPHEs with different chevron angles (β) of 30°/30°, 45°/45°, and 60°/60°. Experimental data is collected under steady- state conditions, with a single phase (water-water) system, covering Reynolds numbers (Re) ranging from 900 to 1250. The test fluid's mass flow rate, ranging from 0.05 to 0.16 kilograms per second, is measured together with the accompanying steady state temperatures. Each plate was equipped with four thermocouple sensors to detect the bulk temperature of the cold and hot fluids at the intake and output. The performance was evaluated using both parallel and counterflow configurations. Experimental observations are utilized to estimate the temperature difference (∆T) between the inlet and output streams, the logarithmic mean temperature difference (LMTD), and the exergy (E). The measured ∆T and E values for corrugation angles (30°, 45°, and 60°) of CPHE were compared to those of flat plate heat exchangers. For corrugation angles of 30°, 45°, and 60°, the values of ∆T and E (efficiency) increase as the mass flow rate of the fluid increases. An increase in the corrugation angle leads to an increase in turbulence in the flow, which in turn enhances heat transmission. In addition, the thermal effectiveness (ε) was calculated using the NTU method and compared for all of the plates. Key Words: Corrugated plate heat exchanger, Thermal performance, Chevron angle, heat transfer coefficient.