Abstract
The objective of this study is to investigate the heat transfer characteristics of discrete plate finned-tube heat exchangers with large fin pitches. Thirty-four heat exchangers were tested with variations of fin pitches, the number of tube rows, fin alignment, and vertical fin space. The j-factor of the discrete plate finned-tube exchanger was analyzed as a function of coil geometry and then compared with that of the continuous plate finned-tube heat exchanger. For fin pitches of 7.5-15 mm, the j-factors of the discrete plate finned-tube heat exchangers were 6.0-11.6% higher than those of the continuous plate finned-tube heat exchangers. Two separate correlations for the j-factor were developed for the inline and the staggered fin alignment in the discrete plate finned-tube heat exchangers to predict the measured data within a relative deviation of 2.9%.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 174-180 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Applied Thermal Engineering |
Volume | 30 |
Issue number | 2-3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2010 Feb |
Keywords
- Discrete fin
- Fin alignment
- Large fin pitch
- Plate heat exchangers
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Energy Engineering and Power Technology
- Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering