Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Single-Phase Forced Convection in Flat Plate Heat Exchanger with Different Numbers of Passes

Abstract

Much of the present and future technology will be based on electronic devices that are operated using an electronic clip. Due to the continuous operation of the majority of electronic devices, the efficiency of such devices decreases because of inefficient cooling techniques. Therefore, the present study experimentally and numerically investigates the thermal resistance and friction factor for the flat plate heat exchanger in the range of Reynolds number 7500–38,000. The study also examines the effect of the number of passes on the thermal performance of a flat plate heat exchanger. Based on the experimental and numerical results of a 4-pass flat plate heat exchanger, the empirical correlation for the thermal resistance and friction factor is suggested to be within the error range of ± 3.5% and ± 5%, respectively. For the optimum performance of the flat plate heat exchanger, the thermal resistance and friction factor should be as low as possible. The numerical results show that the thermal resistance decreases, and the friction factor increases with the number of passes in the flat plate heat exchanger; therefore, out of 2, 4, and 6 passes, the study suggests that 4 passes provide a compromising option for thermal resistance as well as the friction factor.