Influence of curved trapezoidal winglet vortex generators on thermalhydraulic performance in fin-and-tube heat exchangers
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Fin-tube heat exchangers play a crucial role in various industrial and HVAC applications due to their high heat transfer efficiency.This study focuses on the numerical analysis of fin-tube heat exchangers integrated with curved trapezoidal winglet vortex generators.In the current work, the impact of three key factors on heat transfer and flow characteristics: inlet velocity (2-5 m/s), vortex generator position angle (45°-120°), and arc length (3.80-6.33 mm) is analyzed.To enhance the accuracy of output predictions, this research extends beyond conventional parametric studies by utilizing a structured design of experiments approach.The study determines the optimal configurations through Kriging response surface methodology analysis.Results indicate a potential 48.5% improvement in heat transfer and up to an 18.3% enhancement in thermo-hydraulic performance.Moreover, the study reveals that improper sizing and positioning of vortex generators may lead to a 5% decrease in thermo-hydraulic performance compared to the heat exchanger without vortex generators.This work aims to explore strategies for enhancing the thermal performance of fin-and-tube heat exchangers through novel vortex generator designs by considering their geometric dimensions and positioning.
Source: Journal of Thermal Engineering
Author: Alisan GONUL
Institution: Siirt Üniversitesi
Language: English
Topic: Heat Transfer Mechanisms
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4408801309