Numerical Study on the Effect of Geometric Parameters on the Heat Transfer Performance of Finned-Tube Adsorption Bed

Abstract

Due to the benefits in terms of conserving energy and emission reduction, which are coincident with the current energy development trend, adsorption refrigeration technology has gained popularity. The central part of the adsorption refrigeration system is the adsorption bed, in which heat transfer performance has a direct impact on the system’s efficiency. A numerical model of a finned-tube heat exchanger in a silica-gel water adsorption refrigeration system has been built as a numerical model for this study. A mathematical model along with Darcy’s law has been considered to take into the effects of heat and transfer. On how well heat transfer occurs, the influences of geometric factors including fin height, fin thickness, fin pitch, and porosity of silica gel were obtained. The findings indicate the heat exchanger’s heat transmission is uniform, with a maximum temperature differential of 1.14 K on its fin. The heat exchanger reaches a stable average temperature at the fastest rate with a 10 mm fin height. The optimal fin pitch of the adsorption bed is 2.2 mm. The heat exchanger performs better with a fin that is 0.22 mm thick. Overall, the study supplies an analytical and methodological basis for the influence of geometric factors on heat transmission in adsorption beds and generates new structural optimization ideas.