Thermohydraulic performance study of different square baffle angles in cross-corrugated channel

Abstract

Cross-corrugated channels implementing high heat transfer performance are proper to employ in plate fin heat exchangers. In this work, the heat transfer, pressure drop and thermohydraulic performance in the cross-corrugated triangular channels having rectangle baffles with different settlement angles are numerically researched. Ansys-Fluent program is performed to solve Navier Stokes and energy equations by using k-ε turbulence model in numerical calculations. While air inlet temperature employed as working fluid is 293 K, wall surface temperature values of the lower corrugated duct are taken as constant 373 K. The constant rectangle baffle height and apex angle of the corrugated channel are utilized as 0.5 H and 60°, respectively. Re number range analyzed in this work is 1000–6000 while the rectangle baffle settlement angles are 30°,45°,60° and 90°. Numerical results are agreed with 3.53% deviation according to experimental study existed in literature. The attained results are exhibited as mean Nu number, fluid temperature and pressure variations for each rectangle baffle angle. Contour distributions of the temperature and velocity vector are also evaluated for different Re numbers and rectangle baffle angles. The Num value for the corrugated channel with rectangle baffle of 90° angle is 52.8% higher than that of the 60° for the Re = 6000. Also, for Re = 1000 the value of the pressure drop is 65.97% lower in the corrugated triangular channel with 60° rectangle baffle angle than that of 90° angle.