A Multi-Domain Coupled Numerical Method for a Flat Tube Bank Fin Heat Exchanger with Delta-Winglet Vortex Generators

Abstract

Along with the improvement of numerical methods and the development of computer power, using a numerical method to design a tube bank fin heat exchanger becomes increasingly possible. In real working conditions, the conjugate heat transfer process arises in this type of exchanger. To provide a feasible numerical model and its relevant method to properly assess the thermal performance of exchanger, in this article, a multi-domain coupled numerical method is presented, in which the conduction in solid regions and the convection in flow regions are calculated together with a fully coupled manner. The reliability of a numerical method was tested through comparing average numerical results with experimental results of a real heat exchanger. The results reveal that the multi-domain coupled numerical method can achieve more accurate positions of the interfaces, arrange the orthogonal grids close to the interfaces, and use more reasonable criteria of convergence. Thus, we have achieved reasonable results that agree with the experimental data of the real heat exchanger under the working condition within 10% deviation in the Reynolds number region studied, and got overall heat transfer coefficient of a flat tube bank fin heat exchanger.

Notes

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