Abstract
This paper presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) parametric study to investigate the effect of various parameters such as the fin arrangement (or spacing) and the inlet flow conditions (velocity and temperature) on the performance of compact finned-tube heat exchangers, which can be found in many HVAC industrial applications. In the present study, the heat exchanger's performance is expressed in terms of heat transfer and pressure drop. Both heat transfer and pressure drop are presented here in dimensionless forms; the Nusselt number and the pressure coefficient. An additional factor, the ratio of the Colburn factor to friction factor, combining the effects of the heat transfer and the pressure drop, is also presented to complete the performance assessment. Several CFD cases were studied using a commercial software package for the investigation of flow and thermal behavior in the heat exchanger under various modeling conditions. To ensure accurate numerical results, grid independence analysis and model validation against previously published experimental data were performed. Using the results generated from the CFD cases, two useful mathematical correlations were developed and presented in the dimensionless form. These correlations can be used to predict the performance of typical heat exchangers.