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3 (2010) 253260
DOI: 10.1007/s11630-010-0253-8
Heat Transfer Optimization for Air-Mist Cooling between a Stack of Parallel Plates
Roy J. Issa
Mechanical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering and Computer Science West Texas A&M University Canyon, Texas 79016, USA E-mail: rissa@mail.wtamu.edu, Tel: (806) 651-5261 Science Press and Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010
A theoretical model is developed to predict the upper limit heat transfer between a stack of parallel plates subject to multiphase cooling by air-mist flow. The model predicts the optimal separation distance between the plates based on the development of the boundary layers for small and large separation distances, and for dilute mist conditions. Simulation results show the optimal separation distance to be strongly dependent on the liquid-to-air mass flow rate loading ratio, and reach a limit for a critical loading. For these dilute spray conditions, complete evaporation of the droplets takes place. Simulation results also show the optimal separation distance decreases with the increase in the mist flow rate. The proposed theoretical model shall lead to a better understanding of the design of fins spacing in heat exchangers where multiphase spray cooling is used.
Introduction
In the external cooling of cross-flow finned tubular heat exchangers, a single-phase fluid is traditionally used to cool a bundle of tubes. Substantial amount of research has also been done during the last few decades on heat exchangers using multiphase fluids, particularly air and water sprays. Yang and Clark [1] conducted experimental studies on tubular heat exchangers with plain, louvered, and perforated fins using air-water sprays. Their results showed the friction losses were not affected by the water sprays, and improvements in the multiphase heat transfer coefficient, as compared to cooling by air alone, were in the range between 40 to 45% for air Reynolds numbers ranging from 500 to 1000. Bhatti and Savery [2] introReceived: November 2009 Roy J. Issa: Assistant Professor
duced fine size water droplets into the thermal boundary layer formed around the fins for a heat exchanger which resulted in a great improvement in the heat transfer process. Trela [3] developed a numerical model to calculate the heat transfer coefficient for a laminar air-mist flow over a flat plate. Walczyk [4] conducted studies on an air-fin roof-type condenser sprayed with water (up to 10% by weight). His experiments showed heat transfer enhancement close to 125 %. Song et al. [5] developed a theoretical model for the cooling of a finned channel in a heat exchanger. The model examined the heat transfer enhancement of the air-cooled fins by the evaporative cooling of a thin water film. Heat transfer enhancement was shown to depend greatly on the fin thickness, and for fins that are not suf-
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Nomenclature A Area (m2) a, b Constants Specific heat at constant pressure (J/kg.K) cp D Plate-to-plate distance (m) Plate height (m) H h Enthalpy (J/kg) Mass transfer coefficient (m/s) hD Enthalpy of vaporization (J/kg) hfg Gas heat transfer coefficient (W/m2.K) hg k Conductivity (W/m.K) L Length of the entire package of fins (m) Le Lewis number Mass flow rate (kg/s) m n Number of channels Nu Nusselt number P Pressure, total pressure (N/m2) Pr Prandtl number
g
V
Subscripts 1 2 a c ch d
Viscous energy source Liquid-to-air mass flow rate loading ratio Gas thermal diffusivity (m2/s) Density (kg/m3) Dynamic viscosity (N.s/m2) Shear stress (N/m2) Kinematic viscosity (m2/s) Finite difference Flow boundary layer thickness (m) Partial derivative notation Channel entry side Channel exit side Dry air Conduction/convection at the wall Per channel Droplets Evaporation Gas (air and water vapor) at y equal to 0 Liquid Optimal Plate Total Vapor Wall Channel cross-section Free stream Flux Average