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Experimental Investigation of the Vortex Generator Effects on a Gas Liquid Finned Tube Heat Exchanger Using Irreversibility Analysis

  • Research Article - Mechanical Engineering
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Abstract

In the present work, the effect of wedge-shaped tetrahedral vortex generator (VG) on a gas liquid finned tube heat exchanger is experimentally investigated using irreversibility analysis. In this experiment, a wind tunnel system is used for forcing ambient air with mass flow rates of 0.047–0.072 kg/s across the finned tube heat exchanger. Hot water with constant flow rate of 240 L/h is circulated inside heat exchanger tubes at steady-state condition with inlet temperature range of 45–73 ◦C. The tests are carried out on the flat finned heat exchanger and then repeated on the VG finned heat exchanger. The results show that using mounted VGs lowered the air side irreversibility to heat transfer ratio (ASIHR) of heat exchanger. It is mainly because; the air side irreversibility decreases with heat transfer enhancement associated with lower temperature differences between air and water sides. To reveal the effects of these VGs on the heat exchanger, the VG performance based on air side irreversibility is quantified by the improved air side irreversibility to heat transfer ratio (IASIHR). The results indicate that the IASIHR is more than 1.05.

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Abbreviations

ASIHR:

Irreversibility to heat transfer ratio of air side

c :

Specific heat of water (J/kg K)

c p :

Specific heat of air at constant pressure (J/kg K)

\({\dot{E}}\) :

Exergy transfer rate (W)

h :

Enthalpy (J/kg)

(h 2−h 3):

Air side pressure drop (mm w.g.)

IASIHR:

Improved irreversibility to heat transfer ratio of air side

\({\dot{I}}\) :

Irreversibility rate (W)

\({\dot{m}}\) :

Mass flow rate (kg/s)

\({\dot{Q}}\) :

Heat transfer rate (W)

R :

Gas constant (J/kg K)

s :

Entropy (J/kg K)

T :

Temperature (K)

VG:

Vortex generator

\({\Delta \dot{E}}\) :

Change of exergy transfer rate (W)

ΔP :

Pressure drop (Pa)

ΔT :

Temperature difference (K)

Δ φ :

Change of specific flow exergy (J/kg)

\({\varepsilon _{\rm exergy}}\) :

Exergy transfer effectiveness (%)

\({\varepsilon _{\rm HE}}\) :

Heat exchanger effectiveness (%)

ν :

Specific volume of water (m3/kg)

φ :

Specific flow exergy (J/kg)

a:

Air

AS:

Air side

HE:

Heat exchanger

i:

Inlet

max:

Maximum possible

o:

Outlet

w:

Water

with VG:

Heat exchanger with mounted VGs on its fin surfaces

without VG:

Flat finned tube heat exchanger

0:

The surrounding state

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, P.O. Box 9177948944-1111, Mashhad, Iran

    M. Ghazikhani, S. M. S. Monazzam & J. Taghipour

  2. Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Power and Water University of Technology, 16765-1719, Tehran, Iran

    I. Khazaee

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Torbat-e-jam branch, Islamic Azad University, Torbat-e-jam, Iran

    I. Khazaee

Authors
  1. M. Ghazikhani
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  2. I. Khazaee
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  3. S. M. S. Monazzam
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  4. J. Taghipour
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Correspondence to I. Khazaee.

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Ghazikhani, M., Khazaee, I., Monazzam, S.M.S. et al. Experimental Investigation of the Vortex Generator Effects on a Gas Liquid Finned Tube Heat Exchanger Using Irreversibility Analysis. Arab J Sci Eng 39, 2107–2116 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-013-0750-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-013-0750-7

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