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Thermohydraulic performance augmentation in a solar air heater using a perforated circular segment vortex generator

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Abstract

Hybrid turbulators have been introduced as a feasible solution to improve heat transfer in fluid channels. In this study, a perforated circular segment was used as a vortex generator to enhance the heat transfer rate in an air collector duct. The effects of key parameters, including Reynolds numbers ranging from 6000 to 18,000 (four values), angles of attack from 30 to 90° (five values), and inline and staggered segment arrangements, on heat transfer, pressure loss, and thermohydraulic performance were investigated. A 3D numerical simulation using the RNG k-ε turbulence model with experimental verification was performed in this study. The results showed that the maximum thermohydraulic performance parameter was 1.3, and an attack angle of 30° provided the best performance. Strong turbulence occurred with an angle of attack of 60°, which caused a large pressure loss in comparison with the heat transfer enhancement. The maximum turbulence kinetic energy shifted from the root to the peak of a segment when the angle of attack increased. The Nusselt number and friction factor of the staggered configuration were 1.72 times and 1.88 times the corresponding values of the inline arrangement.

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Abbreviations

A :

Area, m2

c p :

Specific heat at a constant pressure, J/kg·K

D :

Hydraulic diameter, m

f :

Friction factor

H :

Air channel height, m

h :

Heat transfer coefficient, W/m2·K

k :

Thermal conductivity, W/m·K or turbulence kinetic energy, m2/s2

L :

Test section length, m

\(\dot{m}\) :

Air mass flow rate, kg/s

Nu :

Nusselt number

P :

Pressure, Pa

Pr :

Prandtl number

\(\dot{Q}\) :

Heat transfer rate, W

Re :

Reynolds number

T :

Temperature, °C

V :

Air velocity, m/s

W :

Air channel width, m

Δ:

Difference

ε :

Rate of dissipation, m2/s3

η :

Thermohydraulic performance parameter

μ :

Dynamic viscosity, kg/m·s

ρ :

Density, kg/m3

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Funding

This research was funded by the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) under grant number B2021-20–06.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam

    Nguyen Van Hap, Phan Thanh Nhan & Huynh Phuoc Hien

  2. Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam

    Nguyen Van Hap, Phan Thanh Nhan & Huynh Phuoc Hien

  3. Faculty of Heat and Refrigeration Engineering, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH), 12 Nguyen Van Bao, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam

    Nguyen Minh Phu

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  1. Nguyen Van Hap
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Contributions

Nguyen Van Hap: Visualization, investigation, analysis, and writing—original draft.

Phan Thanh Nhan: Material preparation, data collection.

Huynh Phuoc Hien: Formal analysis, writing—reviewing and editing.

Nguyen Minh Phu: Conceptualization, methodology, writing—reviewing and editing.

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Correspondence to Nguyen Minh Phu.

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Van Hap, N., Nhan, P.T., Hien, H.P. et al. Thermohydraulic performance augmentation in a solar air heater using a perforated circular segment vortex generator. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 65338–65350 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-26987-2

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