Abstract
Matrix Heat Exchanger is having wide spread applications in cryogenics and aerospace, where high effectiveness and compactness is essential. This can be achieved by providing high thermal conductive plates and low thermal conductive spacers alternately. These perforated plate matrix heat exchangers have near to 100% efficiency due to low longitudinal heat transfer. The heat transfer and flow friction characteristics of a perforated plate matrix heat exchanger can be represented using Colburn factor and friction factor. In this paper, dimensionless parameters like Reynolds number (Re ), porosity (p ), perforation perimeter factor (P f ), plate thickness to pore diameter ratio (l /d ) and spacer thickness to plate thickness ratio (s /l ) have been optimized for maximum Colburn factor and minimum friction factor using genetic algorithm. Two algorithms, one for single objective and the other for multi-objective problems, which are believed to be more efficient, are described. The algorithms coded with MATLAB, is used to perform multi-objective optimization on perforated plate matrix heat exchanger surfaces. The results show promising results.
Highlights
The need for small size and light weight heat exchanger in all varieties of powered vehicles from automobiles to space crafts, as well as in a multitude of applications has resulted in the development of many heat transfer surfaces that are much more compact than can be practically realized with circular tubes
The corresponding Colburn factor (j) was calculated from Number of Heat Transfer Units (NTU) and the basic performance data for a perforated plate matrix heat exchanger surface are often shown as curves of the Colburn factor (j = St Pr2/3) and the Fanning friction factor (f), plotted vs. Reynolds number (Re)
Single objective optimization is applied on both objective functions independently using genetic algorithm
Summary
The need for small size and light weight heat exchanger in all varieties of powered vehicles from automobiles to space crafts, as well as in a multitude of applications has resulted in the development of many heat transfer surfaces that are much more compact than can be practically realized with circular tubes. Heat exchangers are among the most vital components of any cryogenic refrigeration/liquefaction system and for these applications, heat exchangers should possess very high effectiveness. Determining the basic heat transfer and flow friction characteristics of heat transfer surfaces will help to understand the basic mechanisms involved for the development of matrix heat exchanger. The performance of refrigerators, liquefiers and separation units is strongly dependent on the effectiveness of the heat exchangers used. If the effectiveness of the heat exchanger is below a certain critical value (
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