Numerical Modeling of Turbulent Flow and Heat Transfer Within a Bayonet Tube

Abstract

This paper presents a numerical study of turbulent flow and heat transfer in a bayonet tube under steady state. First, various turbulent models and wall treatment methods have been tested and validated against the experimental result from a turbulent air jet. The proper combination of turbulent model and wall treatment is then recommended for the turbulent flow within a bayonet tube. The study focuses on the heat transfer performance at the interface of working fluid and the outer tube wall under different Reynolds numbers. Various geometry parameters are considered in this work and the impact of geometry on the heat transfer performance is investigated. Results indicate that the heat transfer at the bottom of the bayonet tube is enhanced compared with that at the straight part. At low Re (< 8000), the maximum Nu occurs at the stagnation point, while the position of the maximum Nu moves away from the stagnant point as Re exceeds 8000. The results are believed to be helpful for the optimized design of a bayonet tube with fully turbulent flows.