Enhanced Heat Transfer Characteristics of Viscous Liquid Flows in a Chevron Plate Heat Exchanger

Abstract

Steady-state heat transfer and pressure drop data for single-phase viscous fluid flows (2 ≤ Re ≤ 400) in a single-pass U-type counterflow plate heat exchanger (PHE) with chevron plates are presented. With vegetable oil as test fluid (130 < Pr < 290), three different plate arrangements are employed: two symmetric (β = 30 deg/30 deg and 60 deg/60 deg) and one mixed (β = 30 deg/60 deg). The effects of chevron angle β, corrugation aspect ratio γ, and flow conditions (Re, Pr, μ/μw on Nu and f characteristics of the PHE are delineated. The results show a rather complex influence of plate surface corrugations on the enhanced thermal-hydraulic behavior. Relative to the performance of equivalent flat-plate packs, chevron plates sustain up to 2.9 times higher heat transfer rates on a fixed geometry and constant pumping power basis, and require up to 48 percent less surface area for the fixed heat load and pressure drop constraint.