Enhancement Of Plate-Fin Heat Exchanger Performance with Aid of Various Types of Fin Configurations: A Review

Abstract

This study is a review of recent studies on heat transfer enhancement in plate fin-heat exchangers (PFHE) with plain and offset (OSF) fins. Thermal designing parameters such as the coefficient of heat transfer, Nusselt number, hydraulic diameter, Colburn factor (j), friction factor (f) and Reynold's number of PFHE was presented in this review for both straight and offset types. According to the results, by replacing plain fins into OSF, the pressure increases because of the increasing of f-factor, while there is a significant increase in Nusselt number and then the heat transfer. The j & f factors, are the most essential two parameters of researching the heat exchanger that were represented as functions of Reynolds number and other geometrical parameters. At the same Reynolds number, the J-factor declines and the friction factor f increases as the fin pitch increases for the same fin height and fin thickness.