Abstract
Wall temperature of an internally finned tube has been computed numerically for different fin number, height, and shape by solving conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy using Fluent 12.1 for a steady and laminar flow of fluid inside a tube under mixed flow condition. It has been found that there exists an optimum number for fins to keep the pipe wall temperature at a minimum. The fin height has an optimum value beyond which the wall temperature becomes insensitive to fin height. For a horizontal tube, under mixed flow condition, it is seen that the upper surface has higher average temperature than the lower surface. The impact of fin shape on the heat transfer rate shows that wall temperature is least for triangular-shaped fins, compared to rectangular- and T-shaped fins. In addition to the thermal characteristics, the pressure drop caused due to the presence of fins has also been studied.
Highlights
Laminar mixed convection and conduction across a heated finned tube has practical implications
For laminar flow and heat transfer, comprehensive experimental and numerical investigations have been performed for variable fluid properties, mixed convection, and fin geometry
This paper reports the numerical investigation of mixed convection and conduction heat transfer from rectangular fin arrays which are mounted on the inner wall of a horizontal tube
Summary
Laminar mixed convection and conduction across a heated finned tube has practical implications. Experimental investigations have been performed by different researchers to study the friction factor, heat transfer rate, and pressure drop and temperature distribution of tube wall. Experimental outcomes in a comparative study with 1-inline, 3-inline, and 7-inline show that the relative performance reduces as the number of inline winglets increases from 1 to 7 He et al [4] experimentally evaluated an improvement of 25–55% of heat transfer coefficient and a pressure drop of 90% on air side of a heat exchanger by using a winglet-type vortex generator with attack angle 30◦, over 1400 < Re < 3400. Park et al [15] had analysed the effect of heat transfer in a heat sink due to the dimpled surface under laminar airflow They had considered two different shape (circular and oval) dimples to investigate both numerically as well as experimentally. The investigation is carried forward by changing the spacing between the fins, shape, and size to analyse its heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics
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