Methods to Evaluate Heat Transfer Enhancement in an Ultrasonic Heat Exchanger

Abstract

Several qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the performances of an ultrasonically assisted double tube heat exchanger are presented in this work. These methods are theoretically developed and applied to four different fluid-flow configurations: hot and cold fluid interchangeable positions, in parallel-flow (co-flow) or counter-flow and allow estimating heat exchanger outlet temperatures, energetic performances and heating transfer coefficients. Relevance of each method presented with respect to the selected configuration and to the required improvement is discussed. It appears that one method may be more suited than the others to analyze enhancement or thermal behavior induced by ultrasound.

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the association “Instituts Carnot, Energies du futur”.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mathieu Legay

Mathieu Legay graduated from the Joseph Fourier University of Grenoble (formerly Grenoble-Alpes University, France) in 2012 after working for 3 years as a Ph.D. student. His thesis subject was about heat transfer enhancement using ultrasound in an innovative kind of heat exchanger. Since then, he has been working in the energy industry as a CFD engineer and software developer.

Odin Bulliard-Sauret

Odin Bulliard-Sauret is an Associate Professor in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Engineering at the Lille High School of Engineering Studies (HEI-Yncrea) and at the Mines-Telecoms Institute of Lille-Douai, France. He receives his Ph.D. degree in 2016 from the Grenoble Alpes-University, France. He has been a lecturer at Grenoble-Alpes University from 2015 to 2017. His research activity focuses on heat transfer processes and fluid mechanics.

Sébastien Ferrouillat

Sébastien Ferrouillat is an Associate Professor at the Laboratory of Geophysical and Industrial Flows (LEGI-UMR 5519) which is a public research laboratory of the Grenoble-Alpes University, France. His research interests include single- and two-phase heat transfer enhancement by using nanofluids or ultrasound and optimal design of heat exchangers.

Primius Boldo

Primus Boldo was an Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering at the Savoie Mont Blanc University, France. After some years in the chemical industry, he becomes a teacher at Institut Universitaire de Technologie de Nancy and at Polytech Savoie. His research activity was focused on measuring techniques and computer data acquisition. He is now retired from teaching position but still active in ultrasound development.

Nicolas Gondrexon

Nicolas Gondrexon is a Full Professor in Chemical Engineering at the Grenoble Alpes University, France. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in 1994 from the University of Savoie. He has been teaching at the National School of Chemistry of Rennes from 1995 to 1999 before joining the Joseph Fourier University (formerly Grenoble-Alpes University) in 1999. Assigned at the Rheology and Processes Laboratory (UMR 5520) since 2011, he has initiated the use of ultrasound as a promising intensification tool for heat and mass transfer processes.