Modeling of Heat Transfer Augmentation in a Circular Tube Fitted with Right-Left Helical Inserts in Laminar Flow Using CFD

Abstract

Computational heat transfer flow modeling is one of the great challenges in the classical sciences. As with most problems in Engineering, the interest in the heat transfer augmentation is due to its extreme importance in various industrial applications. CFD simulation for the heat transfer augmentation in a circular tube fitted with right-left helical tape inserts in laminar flow conditions has been explained in this paper using Fluent version 6.2.16. The data obtained by simulation are matching with the literature value for plain tube with the discrepancy of less than plus or minus 5% for Nusselt number and friction factor. Enhanced heat transfer with decreasing twist ratio was observed. Heat flux is more uniform all along the tube and decreases uniformly towards the center. Right-left movement of the flow as per direction twist was also observed from the velocity contour.