Thermal enhancement of a heat exchanger of engine via U-cut and V-cut zigzag strip turbulator combined with bubble injection method

Abstract

This experimental study proposes a new approach to enhance heat transfer performance inside heat exchangers of engine by tandem utilization of bubble injection and a punched zigzag strip turbulator. The side edges of the zigzag turbulator underwent two distinct geometry modifications, involving V and U shape cuts. These cuts were made at varying zigzag angles, ranging from 60° to 150° and four diffirent surface area. The potential improvement in thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger was evaluated at different inlet Reynolds number ranging from 5390 to 10,860. Based on survey results, it has been demonstrated that at a Reynolds number of 5390, the Nusselt number and friction factor increase by 48% and 154% for U-Cut with a bending angle of 150°, and by 61% and 170% for V-Cut, respectively. Hence, V-cut boasts a TEF of 1.15, representing a 6.5% improvement over U-cut. Additionally, to assess further enhancement, air bubbles with flow rate ranging 2–6 LPM were introduced to the central tube while maintaining the superior geometry. The data suggests that incorporating air bubbles can enhance heat transfer up to 142%, achieving a TEF of 1.17 at an air flow rate of 6 LPM.