FINITE-VOLUME AND FINITE-ELEMENT HYBRID TECHNIQUE FOR THE CALCULATION OF COMPLEX HEAT EXCHANGERS BY SEMIEXPLICIT METHOD FOR WALL TEMPERATURE LINKED EQUATIONS (SEWTLE)

Abstract

An analysis has been performed of the discretization of governing equations for complex heat exchangers. The grid generation and the cell discretization are discussed separately, to investigate the possibilities for improving the accuracy of description. A finite-volume and finite-element hybrid technique, which is compatible with the semiexplicit method for wall temperature linked equations (SEWTLE), is proposed. This technique produces accurate temperature profile within the cell and reduces the number of grid points. Advantages, drawbacks, and application strategies are reported.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Dr. Fabio Subba for his assistance in the revision of this article.