Thermal efficiency and performance enhancement examination in a new PHE design

• Main Authors: Sirine Chtourou, Hassene Djemal, Mohamed Kaffel, Mounir Baccar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-12-01
• Series: Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
• Subjects: PHE; Performance; K-ϵ turbulence model; Heat transfer; Fractal; Ansys19
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X21006651

Due to its significant heat transfer area and its compactness, the plate heat exchangers PHEs are extensively used in several engineering applications compared to the tubular heat exchanger. For this reason, enhancing the PHE thermal efficiency seems a critical and essential purpose for many researchers and manufactures. This paper covers a numerical examination of a new proposed design of the PHE with a plate fitted with Y fractal shape obstacles with different steps. The intension of this work is to analyze and evaluate the impact of the Y fractal branches number, the distribution area and the Reynolds number Re. The standard k-ϵ turbulence model was chosen for this investigation. Aiming to ensure the numerical method accuracy and preciseness, an appropriate and suitable grid refinement study has been conducted. With the experimental method, the numerical results have been validated so that it is possible to confirm the method reliability. For a Reynolds number Re range 400–1400, significant parameters (the Nusselt number Nu, the friction factor Cf, the Thermo-hydraulic performance parameter THPP) are predicted and the temperature contours are presented using ANSYS19. Compared to the standard commercial chevron PHE, the new concept indicates an improvement and enhancement in the heat transfer.