Investigation of heat transfer efficiency in coplanar channels

Abstract

Achieving more efficient heat transfer in heat-transfer devices is a topical problem. Heat transfer and pressure drop in paths containing coplanar channels of different shapes are experimentally studied in this work. It is found that the mutual crossing angles of coplanar channels, finning ratio, and the dimensions of coplanar channels are the main parameters influencing heat transfer enhancement. The best effect from using coplanar channels is achieved at the values of Reynolds number Re = 10³–10⁴. The coefficient of heat transfer in coplanar channels can be increased by a factor of 3–10 as compared with that for a smooth channel. The pressure drop coefficient ξ increases with increasing the total mutual channel crossing angle. It is found that heat transfer in flat paths with coplanar channels becomes less efficient with decreasing the coplanar channel’s equivalent hydraulic diameter to 0.5–1.0 mm, whereas more efficient heat transfer is obtained by fitting these channels with flow microturbulizers. It is shown that increasing the finning height in cylindrical paths with coplanar channels has no effect on vortex formation in them; however, it results in a higher finning ratio, due to which more efficient heat transfer is obtained