Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser

An overview on thermal and uid ow characteristics in a plain plate

nned and un-nned tube banks heat exchanger
Tahseen Ahmad Tahseen a,b,n, M. Ishak b,c,1, M.M. Rahman b,c,1
a

Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, 26600 Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia
c
Automotive Engineering Centre, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, 26600 Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia
b

art ic l e i nf o

a b s t r a c t

Article history:
Received 23 November 2013
Received in revised form
29 August 2014
Accepted 22 October 2014
Available online 27 November 2014

The heat exchangers have a widespread use in industrial, transportation as well as domestic applications
such as thermal power plants, means of transport, air conditioning and heating systems, electronic
equipment and space vehicles. The key objectives of this article are to provide an overview of the
published works that are relevant to the tube banks heat exchangers. A review of available and display
that the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of the heat exchanger rely on many parameters.
Such parameters as follows: external uid velocity, tube conguration (in-line/staggered, series), tubes
rows, tube spacing, n spacing, shape of tubes, etc. The review also shows the nned and un-nned tube
congurations heat exchangers. The important correlations for thermouids in tube banks heat
exchangers also discussed. The optimum spacing of tube-to-tube and n-to-n with xed size (i.e.,
area, volume) with the maximum overall heat conductance (heat transfer rate) were summarized in this
review. In addition, the few studies show the effect of tube diameter in a circular shape compared with
elliptic tube shape. Overall, the heat transfer coefcient and pressure drop increases with increasing uid
velocity regardless the arrangement and shape of the tube. In the meantime, the other shape of tubes
(such as at or attened) for nned and un-nned with the optimum design needs more research and
investigation due to have lesser air-side pressure drop and improved air-side heat transfer coefcients.
They have putted some the signicant conclusions from this review.
& 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords:
Heat exchanger
Flat tube
In-line/staggered congurations
Optimum spacing
Thermouids characteristics

Contents
1.
2.
3.

4.
5.
6.

7.
8.

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Background of tubes bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Flow and geometric parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.1.
External velocity of uid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.2.
Tube diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.3.
Tube rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.4.
Tube pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5.
Fins pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Optimum spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Correlations of thermouids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Flat tube and other shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.1.
In-line and staggered congurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.2.
Tubes array between parallel plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Future work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: tahseen@tu.edu.iq, tahseen444@gmail.com (T.A. Tahseen).
1
Tel. 609 424 2246; fax: 609 424 2202.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.10.070
1364-0321/& 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

364
364
369
369
370
370
370
371
372
373
376
376
377
377
377

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T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377

1. Introduction
There has been a signicant amount of research work carried
out to improve the efciency of heat exchangers. The reason for
these efforts is that heat exchangers have a widespread use in
industrial, transportation as well as domestic applications such as
thermal power plants, means of transport, heating and air conditioning systems, electronic equipment and space vehicles [1].
Because of their extensive use, increase in their efciency would
consequently reduce cost, space and materials required drastically
[1,2]. The aforementioned research work includes a focus on the
choice of working uids with high thermal conductivity, selection
of their ow organization and high effective heat transfer surfaces
constructed from high-conductivity materials.
This paper shows a general review of the heat transfer and uid
ow characteristics of a tube banks heat exchanger and discusses
the effect on the thermouid characteristics of several parameters:
the frontal velocity of uid, tube diameter, tube conguration, tube
rows, tube spacing, n spacing, and tube shape. The optimum
tube-to-tube and n-to-n spacing with the maximum heat transfer rate and minimum pressure drop also presented. A highlight

the most important of the correlations for heat transfer and uid
ow in a tube banks heat exchanger is provided. The other specic
shapes (at tube) and connement of the tube between parallel
plates are outlined were reviewed. The shows and describes the
gaps in the research which may be considered by new studies and
suggests future work. Finally, presents the signicant conclusions.
All sections presented for tube conguration with nned and unned tube bundle.

2. Background of tubes bank

The general congurations of un-nned and nned tube banks
heat exchangers were presented in Figs. 1 and 2. Both in-line and
staggered congurations of tube as well as the circular and at
tubes shape. In general, one uid ow over the tubes array, while a
other uid at the different temperature moves through the tubes.
The rows of tube at the in-line and staggered arrangements in the
ow direction of uid (i.e., inlet velocity of air u1) as shown in
Fig. 2(a and b). The characteristics of conguration by the diameter

Fig. 1. The congurations of nned round and at tube heat exchanger. (adopted from [99]). (a) In-line classic tube shape, (b) Staggered classic tube shape, (c) In-line at
tubeand (d) Staggered at tube.

T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

Nomenclature
a
A
AcF
AF
Ano
Ar
Cd
CFD
D
Dh
Do
Dvh
fF
fT
e
H
k
NR
pF
PL
PT
tF
SF
W

air
overall surface area of heat transfer (m)
cross-section ow area (m2)
surface area of n (m2)
surface area of outside tube without n (m2)
elliptic tube minor-to-major axis ratios
drag coefcients
computational uid dynamics
tube diameter (m)
hydraulic diameter (m)
outside diameter of tube (m)
volumetric hydraulic diameter (m)
ns friction factor
tubes friction factor
ellipses eccentricity e b/a
n spacing (m)
thermal conductivity of uid (w/(m k))
number of tube rows in ow direction
n pitch
longitudinal tube pitch
transverse tube pitch
n thickness, m
spacing between two ns pF 1 (m)
ratio of heat transfer area of a row of tubes to frontal
free ow area

Dimensionless group
Bi
Eu

j
Nu
NuZ
Nu
Re
Sc
Sh
Sh
St
Pr

365

Colburn factor
Nusselt number
Nusselt number predicted by ukauskas correlation
average Nusselt number
Reynolds number
Schmidt number
Sherwood number
average Sherwood number
Stanton number
Prandtl number

Greek symbol
q~ n;m
_
m
T per
f
P
pF
pT

maximum dimensionless overall thermal conductance

mass velocity (kg/m2 s)
temperature increase along the periodic length
dimensionless n density in z-direction
pressure drop per unit length
pressure drop associated n area in nned-and-tube
heat exchanger (Pa)
pressure drop associated tubes in nned-and-tube
heat exchanger (Pa)
density (kg/m3)

Subscribers
a
f
o
to

air
uid
out
tube out side

Biot number
Euler number

of tube such as d, for circular tube and transverse tube diameter of

at tube as well as by the longitudinal pitch, P1 and transverse
pitch, P2 the distance between centers of tube. Beale and Spalding
[3] carried out a numerical investigation of transient incompressible ow in in-line square, rotated square, and staggered tube
banks for the Re number range of 30rRer3000 and ratio of pitch
to diameter of 2/1. The drag lift, pressure drop, and heat transfer
coefcient were calculated. A calculation procedure for a 2D
elliptic ow is applied to predict the pressure drop and heat
transfer characteristics of laminar and turbulent ows of air across
tube banks. The theoretical results of the model are compared
with previously published experimental data [4]. A 2D numerical
study of the laminar steady state ow in a circular tube banks heat
exchanger was carried out for low Reynolds number numbers
[5,6]. The ow in a bundle of elliptical cylinders was investigated
both numerically and experimentally [7,8].
The momentum and energy equations have been solved by
using a nite difference method. The effect of the Nusselt number
on the surface of the tube was recorded by Juncu [9]. The
importance of heat transfer and uid ow appearances of tube
banks in the design of heat exchangers is well known [10].
Comprehensive experimental [11,12], numerical studies [4,13,14]
and both experimental and numerical studies [15,16] of circular
tube banks have been done previously. The numerical analysis of
laminar forced convection in a 2D steady state in the circular
cylinder banks of a tube in square and non-square in-line arrangements. The study shows that the highest heat transfer rate occurs
at the rst tube compared with the other tubes. In addition, the
pressure drop increases signicantly as the transverse pitch-todiameter ratio is reduced [17].

Numerical studies over a 3D multi-row plate n heat exchanger

were carried out of late by Jang et al. [18] The results showed
staggered arrangement to yield a pressure drop 2025% higher
than the in-lined arrangement. The staggered arrangement also
gave an average heat transfer coefcient that was 1527% higher
than the in-lined arrangement. It was the rst study to have given
numerical solutions and experimenting with realistic geometry
and the inlet-outlet conditions for the real multi-row (16 rows)
plate n-and tube heat exchangers. The entire computational
domain (16 rows) from uid inlet to outlet was solved directly.
There are certain limitations as it only takes into account the
laminar ow range, where the ow is in the range of 60 rRe
r900, even though the study has performed a three-dimensional
simulation for a real multi-row plate-n heat exchanger. The effect
of airow rates and average particle diameters on thermouid
characteristics in the tube banks in both in-line and staggered
congurations for gas-particle ow were studied experimentally
by Murray [19]. The results showed that the local and average
Nusselt numbers for the ow with particles can lead to enhanced
thermouid characteristics; also the results depend on the particle
size and Reynolds number for in-line and staggered arrangements.
The author also found that the performance of heat transfer in the
in-line conguration is more suitable compared with the staggered conguration tube bundle for most ow cases.
Lu et al. [20] presented the inuence of geometric parameters
such as tube pitch, n spacing, and tube diameter on the
coefcient of performance (COP) and the ratio of heat transfer
rate to pressure drop (Q/P). The authors found the optimum
value of the pressure drop by using a numerical simulation. Fiebig
et al. [21] employed the nite volume technique to calculate the

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T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

Fig. 2. The congurations of round tube banks heat exchanger (a) in-line (b) staggered, and (c) side view. (adopted from [99]).

conjugate heat transfer and ow characteristics in 3D in a at plate

nned-tube heat exchanger. Using a xed geometry, the patterns
of ow, distribution of pressure, heat ux distribution, heat
transfer coefcient distribution, and n efciency versus the
Reynolds number. The downstream n is much less efcient than

the upstream n. The nite conductivity in the wake behind the

tube caused the reversal of heat transfer. The steady-state laminar
incompressible ow across a tube bundle was investigated and the
nite element method was introduced and applied to solve the 2D
and 3D energy equation and NavierStokes equations [22,23].

T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

Tremendous efforts were made to develop the numerical simulations used to predict the uid ow and heat transfer in tube banks.
The many previous studies using an in-line conguration by

367

Krishne Gowda et al. [24], Mavridou and Bouris [25], a staggered

conguration [2628], and both in-line and staggered congurations [29,30]. Seventeen works among the previous researches

Fig. 3. The nned-two-tube rows (left to right the ow direction). (a) Total energy exchanged, (b) energy exchanged for conduction, (c) energy exchanged by radiation,
(d) temperature integration and (e) convection coefcient distribution [47].

368

Table 1
Effect of the ow and geometric parameters on the thermouids characteristics.
Researcher

Type Re number and velocity range

Tube
shape

Geometric parameter

Tutar and
Akkoca
[43]

Cir

0.116r pf r 0.365

Jang and
Yang [50]

N E 2 m/s ru r7 m/s

600r Rer 2000

 The small effect of the number of tube rows on the coefcient of heat transfer when the number of multi-rows NR 44.
 The pressure drop increased with an increase in the number of rows from 1 to 4 for both in-line and staggered
congurations.

4  103 r Rer 1  104

Cir.
Elp.
Cir
Cir.

Cir.

4-rows axis ratio 2.83:1

OD 10.2 mm, pf 3.5 mm

OD 18 mm, pf 3.1 mm,

PL 34 mm, PT 42 mm

 Pressure drop reduction by 2530%.

 Heat transfer coefcient increased by 3550%.
 Heat transfer coefcient was 1432% higher in the staggered conguration compared with the in-line conguration
 The deviation between these experimental results and previous work is in the range of 732.4%.
 The error range in the correlation of 16.531.4% with compared previous correlation.
 The characteristics of air-side heat transfer and friction coefcients.
 The heat exchanger with slit n has better performance than that with vortex-generator n, especially at high Reynolds
numbers.

1  103 r Rer 11  103

Hasan [54]

Ibrahim and
Gomaa
[55]

N E 5.6  103 r Rer 4  104

Simo Tala
et al. [56]

Re 1050, and 2100

Elp.

2r Ar r4

 High values of the Nu number in oval compared with circular tube.

 The drag coefcient, was better in the oval tubes compared with circular tubes

Elp.

0.25 r Ar r1.0

 The better thermal performance with smaller Re number and Ar.

 The heat exchanger employing elliptic tube arrangement contributes signicantly to the energy conservation.

Cir.
Elp.

e 1.0 (circular); e 0.7 and

e 0.5

 The increase of thermal-hydraulic performance of above 80% were obtained with a reduction in the tube ellipticity
compared with a circular shaped tube.

 The reduction of the thermal and viscous irreversibilities respectively down to 15% and 50% was observed in the modied
shapes when compared to circular ones.

Yan and
E
Sheen [57]
Halici et al.
E
[58]
Kim et al.
E
[59]

300r Rer 2000

Cir.

0.9 m/sr ur 4 m/s

Cir.

550 r Rer 1200

Cir

Yoo et al.
[60]

7.7  103 r Rer 30.3  103

Cir

PL 19.05 mm; PT 25.4 mm;

Pf 1.4, 1.69, and 2.0
Row no. 14

 The p~ increased with increases in the number of tube rows for the same frontal air velocity.
 The increase in the number of tube rows leads to a decrease in the Colburn j and friction factors.

PL 27, 30, and 33 mm mm

pf 7.5, 10.0, 12.5, and 15.0

 The staggered n and tube congurations enhance the performance of heat transfer by 7% and 10%, respectively, compared

PL PT 1.5, 1.75, and 2.0

 The Nu number increases by more than 30% and 65% on the second and third tubes, respectively, compared with the

to the in-line n conguration.

 The heat transfer performance decrease with increase of tube number.

rst tube.

 The local heat transfer coefcients on each tube increase except on the front part of rst tube as the tube spacing decreases.
 The results were shown in the form of the friction coefcient, pressure drop, and coefcient of heat transfer.

Beale and
Spalding
[61]
Khan et al.
[62].

100r Rer 1000

Cir

1.25 r p/D r2.0

1  103 r Rer 1  105

Cir

PL 20.5, and 34.3 mm

PT 20.5, and 31.3 mm

 The Nu numbers depend on the transverse, longitudinal pitches and Reynolds number.
 For staggered conguration, the heat transfer coefcient is higher compared with the in-line conguration.

Xie et al.
[63].

1  103 r Rer 6  103

Cir

32 mm r PL r 36 mm,
19 mm rPT r23 mm

 The decrease in the transverse pitch causes an increase ow velocity, which in turn enhances the heat transfer.
 The heat transfer and ow friction of the presented heat exchangers are correlated in the multiple forms.

Ramana
et al. [64]

200r Rer 1500

Cir

PL PT 2.0

 The high Reynolds number enhancement of the heat transfer is 100% with the staggered arrangement.
 The pressure drop in an in-line arrangement decrease by about 18% compared to congurations without the porous
medium.

T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

Ay et al. [51] E
0.5 m/sr ur 7 m/s
Paeng et al. N E 1082 r Re r1649
[52]
Tang et al.
[53]

Finding

A: analytical study; Cir: circular tube; E: experimental study; Elp: elliptic tube; and N: numerical study.

 The heat transfer increases with increasing ellipticity of the tubes. However, the pressure drop is signicantly reduced by
both increasing tube ellipticity and decreasing density of ns.
PL 35, and 38
Cir
mass ow rate used in all of the
models is 1.904  10  5 kg/s

 The addition of ns leads to enhanced heat transfer but causes an increase in the pressure drop.
0.4 r pf r 5.0
Cir.
N

Sheui et al.
[68]
Erek et al.
[69]

0.3 ru r2.0

 The heat transfer ratio of tube surface to n was still o 10%.

 The n efciency and n temperature depend slightly on the n parameters.
Elp.
N
Chen et al.
[67]

100r Rer 500

the maximum Nu number is the without-uniformity temperature on the wall n and tube wall.

 The impact of transverse pitch in the higher Reynolds numbers the drafting of the traditional heat transfer.
 Increase space of the longitudinal for the uniformly distributed cylinders will strengthen the total heat transfer. Otherwise,
3.0 r PT r 7.0
Cir.
N
Lee et al.
[66]

500r Rer 2000

 For Reo 14100, the large local Nusselt number takes place at the leading edge (e.g., P/b 0.0).
 For Re4 14100, the maximum value of the average Nusselt number enhancement ratio is nearly about 2.0.
N E 4000r Rer 45570
Berbish [65]

Elp.

1.5 r PL, PT/br 4.0

T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

369

used computational uid dynamics (CFD) to simulate the ow and

thermal characteristics of plate un-nned and nned-tube heat
exchangers. All of them aimed to compare the heat transfer and
ow characteristics in 2D and 3D heat exchangers with nned or
un-nned tubes for different geometrical parameters [3140], and
the nite-element [41] were also used.
In addition, the structure of uid ow between ns is complicated and usually difcult to study in 3D. A few researchers have
reported numerical studies of 3D modeling for nned-tube heat
exchangers. Romero-Mndez et al. [42] carried out a numerical
and experimental study of the inuence of the n spacing on the
hydrodynamics and heat transfer of the uid ow through a 3D
nned tube with a single row arrangement for the range of
Reynolds numbers from 260 to 1460. A similar 3D numerical
investigation was carried out by Tutar and Akkoca [43]. They
predicted the vorticity distributions, average heat transfer coefcient, and pressure drop coefcient for several conditions of the n
spacing. For all of the turbulence cases, the values of these
organized factors were compared with each other. Although this
study provides an analysis of turbulent ranges in 3D for the ow
on a nned tube, the domain employed in this study (one tube
row) is not pragmatic. Normally one to six tube rows regions are
used in practical applications [44]. Using the lumped capacitance
technique (LCT), Kim et al. [45] measured the heat transfer
coefcient in a plain nned-tube heat exchanger. The authors
found that the LCT using polycarbonate displayed the same results
regardless of thickness. The LCT is suitable to measure the
coefcient of heat transfer for the Biot number, Bi o0.058. They
claimed that this method is a good way to obtain the quantitative
coefcient of heat transfer for the plate n. Recently, many
researchers suggested linking the particle image velocimetry
(PIV) and infrared thermography (IR) measurements in order to
evaluate each of the elds of velocity and temperature and to infer
the map of the coefcient of heat transfer [46]. The used of the PIV
technique for different thermal applications such as enhanced heat
transfer in heat exchangers. Some of the available empirical
studies for the uid ow in a tube bundle were carried out using
PIV with the wide range of Reynolds numbers [38,47,48] for a
staggered conguration, Iwaki et al. [49] for both in-line and
staggered congurations. The sample of results for used this
technique by Bougeard [47] as presented in Fig. 3.

3. Flow and geometric parameters

Flow conditions and the nning geometry primarily inuence
the distribution of the heat transfer coefcient over un-nned and
nned-tube heat exchangers. Heat transfer and pressure drop from
a un-nned and nned-tube bundle are affected by many other
factors, and communication among these factors make designing
problems signicantly tedious. Several parameters effecting of the
thermal-hydraulic characteristics of tube banks heat exchanger
such as: external velocity, tube diameter, tube rows, tubes pitch
and ns pitch. The general effect of the ow and geometric
parameter are presented in Table 1. The more detailed the effected
of these parameters will be shows as follows.
3.1. External velocity of uid
Boundary layer development and shape which varies with air
velocity is one of the most important factors inuencing the heat
transfer performance in un-nned and nned-tube bundle. The
creation of horseshoe vortices increase and the boundary layer
thickness decrease as the air velocity increases. It is a general
convention that the uid velocity in the recirculation zone is
lower than in the mainstream; hence, the heat transfer coefcient

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T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

is decreased. To determine the Reynolds number for bodies in

cross-ow, the selection of ow velocity is imperative. It must be
noted that a characteristic dimension used to identify the Reynolds
number has not been agreed upon. The researchers have used the
inlet velocity, mean velocity and velocity in the smallest cross
section area as reference velocity [44,70]. In most cases, the
reference velocity is dened as the last one (velocity in the
smallest cross section area) according to the available literature.
Furthermore, air drafting technique is used for complete design of
heat exchangers. Depending on the ow conditions at the bundle
inlet, performance of heat transfer and pressure drop for the unnned and nned-tube banks will vary [71].
Tang and Yang [72] performed the experimental study on the
characteristics of heat transfer across the ow in a single-row
nned-tube heat exchanger on both the air and water sides. They
found that the total thermal resistance value on the water-side
was less than 10% when the Reynolds number varied between
1200 and 6000. The air-side thermal resistance was always
predominant. Furthermore, their results indicate that the thermal
resistance of the air-side is almost equal to that of the water-side
in the Reynolds number range of 5001200. He et al. [73]
numerically evaluated the effect of frontal air velocity in staggered
nned-tube heat exchangers with the air velocity ranging between
0.646 and 4.64 m/s. Also, the effect on the Nusselt number and
friction coefcient of inlet air velocities ranging between 0.4 m/s
and 4 m/s was studied by Borrajo-Pelez et al. [74].
3.2. Tube diameter
Taler [75,76] numerically investigated the heat transfer on the
double rows in the laminar ow region of a two-pass automobile
radiator. The oval-shaped tubes had two diameters: the minor was
6.35 mm and the major 11.82 mm. They found that the zones
behind the tubes contributed little to the heat exchanger performance. Their results showed wakes in front of and behind the tube
at the second row, which led to the minimization of the heat
transfer rate to the lowest value. The inuence of tube diameter on
the Nusselt number and friction factor was presented numerically
by Xie et al. [77]. The Reynolds number was varied between 1000
and 6000. The diameter of the tube was varied from 16 mm to
20 mm. Their study reveals that both heat transfer and friction
coefcients increase with increases in the tube diameter. The
inuence of tube diameter on the Nusselt number and friction
coefcient with the various from 5 to 15 mm was studied by
Borrajo-Pelez et al. [74].
3.3. Tube rows
Every study veried the inuence of tube bundle in the
direction of ow on variation of heat transfer coefcient around
the n and from row-to-row. While, it should be noted that a
single tube and fewer rows yield limited results, some studies have
developed row correction factors to counter this problem. There is
a need to be further research by implementing four and more tube
row bundles. With the staggered conguration, the main ow
passes during the surfaces of the n and tube because of the
location of all rows in almost the same direction as the ow. The
impact of the number of rows on the coefcient of heat transfer for
an in-line conguration was higher compared with the staggered
conguration when the number of rows, NR was NR Z2 [71,78].
Note that, the coefcient of heat transfer became xed following
the third row. Reductions of pressure drop up to 30% of the loss
pressure coefcient (pressure drop coefcient per unit row
because only the existence of the tubes) viewed in favor of
elliptical arrangement. The comparison was conducted between
arrangement for circular and elliptical tubes with the same area of

hindering the free ow for Reynolds number based on the n pitch

range of 200 rRer2000. The air velocity range covered the
advantage for applications in air conditioning. In addition, it was
noted that the reduction in loss pressure coefcient is higher
when increases Reynolds number and negligible for three rows
arrangements.
3.4. Tube pitch
This section discuss a review of the heat transfer and pressure
drop in un-nned and nned and tube heat exchangers with
circular tube experimental measurements in the relevant literature. The relationship was established for the heat transfer and
pressure drop. Regardless of the inuence of tube diameter, the
severity of the turbulence within the bundle depends on the
velocity of the air and tube spacing. Thus, these parameters have a
strong effect on the pressure drop in the banks of tubes. When the
transverse pitch of the tube was changed, the existence of a clear
inuence on the pressure drop at the side-air was observed, while
there was a lack of signicant change in the heat transfer
performance [79]. For the staggered conguration, the heat
transfer coefcient is bigger for the nearer transverse pitch
[79,80]. It would appear that the air velocity at the smallest
channel between the ns becomes highest when the transverse
pitch decreases and this impact leads to bigger values of the
pressure drop and coefcient of heat transfer. On the other hand,
the authors stated that an extension of the longitudinal pitch of
the tube in the staggered conguration leads to decreases of the
Nusslt and Euler numbers. Similar results were reported by Rabas
et al. [81] for the impact of longitudinal pitch on the heat transfer
performance, and the inuence on the pressure drop has been
conrmed by Jameson [82]. The nite element method [83,84] to
solve the NavierStokes and energy equations of heat transfer and
uid ow over in-line and staggered congurations of tube banks
at the xed Pr number of 0.7. Wong and Chen [83] presented
results for various Reynolds numbers ranging between 20 and 40
and a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 2.0. Chen and Weng [84] studied
the effect of pitch-to-diameter ratio and Re number on the Nu
number, pressure drag, total drag, and friction drag. The ranges of
the pitch-to-diameter ratio and Re number were 1.72.0 and 440,
respectively. Zdravistch et al. [85] used a nite volume technique
and presented results for two pitch-to-diameter ratios of 1.5 and
2.0 with various Reynolds numbers based on the velocity of
approach from 54 to 120 at a xed Pr number of 0.7. It is boosted
using the nite volume technique in a 2D [86], and 3D [87]. The
laminar air ow and forced convection heat transfer in the
staggered circular tube banks were studied numerically Wang
et al. [88]. Three tube pitch ratios of 1.25, 1.5, and 2.0 with rotated
square (RS) and equilateral triangle (ET) tube congurations with
10 tube rows for two Reynolds numbers of 100 and 300 were
tested. The authors found that a decrease of the tube pitch ratio
leads to a rise in the heat transfer and friction coefcients. In
general, the friction and local heat transfer coefcients are less in
the RS conguration compared with the ET conguration at the
same tube pitch ratio. They claimed that the results can be used
particularly at lower Reynolds numbers to predict the total heat
transfer in tube banks. The tube bundle arrangements as shown in
Fig. 4. The mass transfer and hydrodynamic characteristics for the
in-line circular tube conguration were examined numerically
[89]. The ratios of pitch to diameter of tube are 1.45, 1.50, 1.75,
1.85, and 2.00 with a low Reynolds number of Reo200. The
results were shown in the form of streamlines, temperature
contours, and local Sherwood, Sh and Sh numbers. The correlation
obtained for the Sh number shows good agreement with previous
experimental correlations. Numerical investigations of the local
coefcient of heat transfer for the tube bundle issue were carried

T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

Fig. 4. The nomenclature staggered tube bundle conguration [88].

n spacing compared with the larger n spacing because the

boundary layer is thicker. Small n spacing leads to an increase in
the thickness of the boundary layers. The swept the formation of a
region of stagnation at the surface of the tube and the n base
through a non-turbulent ow, which was expected from the
subscribe in the effective heat transfer. Hence, the allowable
ranges of reduction in the space between ns depend on the
velocity ow and ow turbulence in the channel between ns. In
this regard, other researches were carried out to nd the best
design for enhanced surfaces for heat transfer [97]. Fig. 1(a and b)
shows the geometry of tube banks with plain ns, four rows deep
on 12.7 mm diameter tubes equilaterally spaced on 32 mm centers; Rich [98] calculated the heat transfer and friction data for this
system. The tubes as well the ns were made of copper and the
ns were joined together by solder to reduce resistance by contact.
The thickness of all ns was kept the same at 0.25 mm thick. The
ns density (1/pf) ranged from 114 ns/m to 811 ns/m but all her
geometrical parameters were identical. The friction drag force is
the total of the drag on a bare tube (pT) and the drag caused by
the ns (pf) as suggested by Rich [98]. The drag force on the ns
is the difference between the total drag force and the drag force
related to the corresponding bare tube banks. Hence, the friction
factor from the ns is


2AcF 
f F p  pT
_ 2 A F
m

Fig. 5. LES: (top) streamline of the spanwise-averaged velocity eld and contour plots
of the spanwise-averaged turbulent kinetic eld (bottom) at several of P/D [93].

out for a wide range of transverse and longitudinal pitches,

Reynolds numbers [90,91], and Prandtl numbers [50], and experimental [92]. The wall-resolved large eddy simulation (LES) with
unsteady RANS was used to investigate the ow over a periodic
and in-line tube bundle [93]. The researchers studied the impact of
tube spacing on uid ow with three values of the pitch-todiameter ratio (P/D) of 1.4, 1.6, and 2.0. The signicant results from
this study showed that the decreases of P/D led to an increase of
the ow deviation. The inuences of the P/D on streamlines and
kinetic energy contour for all cases were which tested as is
illustrated in Fig. 5. The effect of Reynolds number on the ow
and conjugate heat transfer performance of in-line and a staggered
arrangement of a circular tube bundle were studied. The laminar
ow with thermally and developing in a 3D with Reynolds
numbers in the range of 300 rRer800 [14] the inuence of tube
separation [94]. The results were provided in the form of temperature contours, streamline, average pressure drop, and Nu
number. The effect of the longitudinal spacing on characteristics
of heat transfer in the in-line tube bundle for a single phase was
studied [95] with the CFD technique. The author conducted
sensitivity analyses using different models of two-equation turbulence to determine the effect of the turbulence model on characteristics of the heat transfer and to identify the turbulence
model that could describe the physical phenomena of concern
most appropriately. The result suggested that the coefcient of
heat transfer may be reduced by 37.1% from that predicted using
the relationship [10], and the longitudinal pitch decreases. From
the results analysis, it was found that deterioration in the heat
transfer can be observed using the experimental correlation
coefcient and a link and ukauskas [10].

371

The friction factor and the Colburn j-factor St  Pr2=3 data

(smoothed curve t) are represented in Fig. 6 as a function of
Reynolds number based on Dh for the eight n spacing tested.
Entrance and exit losses are not taken into account in the friction
factor and have also been subtracted from the pressure. The
hydraulic diameter based of Re number does not correlate the j
or f data as veried in Fig. 6. pt is the drag measured for the bare
tube banks of the identical geometry, without ns. Both p drop
contributions are analyzed at the same smallest area mass velocity.
Fig. 7 graphically represents the n friction factor calculated by
Eq. (1) plotted against the Reynolds number on the basis of the
longitudinal row pitch (PL) and the same j-factor. It can also be
inferred from the graph that j-factor is essentially independent of
n spacing and is a function of velocity in the minimum ow area.
For all of the test geometry, the row pitch (PL) is kept constant.
_ the heat transfer coefcient of
With the same mass velocity m
the bare tube banks is 40% greater as compared to the nned-tube
banks. With the exception of the closest n spacing, the obtained
friction correlation is convincingly good as can be seen in Fig. 7.

3.5. Fins pitch

The empirical results of Rabas and Taborek [96] shows that the
coefcient of heat transfer near the n root is closer at the smaller

Fig. 6. The heat transfer and friction characteristics of a four-row plain plate heat
exchanger for several n pitches [98,99].

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T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

A questionable observation is made in the friction factor data of

surfaces 7 and 8 as these surfaces show smaller j/f values than the
other ns spacing. The j/f ratio usually increases as the n spacing
is decreased because the fractional parasitic drag associated with
the tube is lessened. Since all geometries tested maintained the
same PL and tube outside diameter. Therefore, Reynolds number
based on them would not have any signicance. Fig. 7 is proof that
the Reynolds number that is governed by hydraulic diameter will
not correlate the impact of n pitch. To determine the effect of the
number of tube rows on the j-factor, Rich [100] used similar heat
exchanger geometry with 551 ns/m, in a study performed later.
The average j-factor (smoothed data t) for each heat exchanger as
a function of Reynolds number can be seen in Fig. 8. The number of
rows in each coil is shown in the gure. The row effect varied
inversely with Reynolds numbers, greatest at the low Reynolds
numbers and negligible at RePL 4 5000. Many studies have been
carried out on plain nned-tube heat exchangers after [50,98
104]. Rich's observation that the j-factor shows negligible effect of
n pitch was validated by these studies, but they do show
appreciable row effect at low Reynolds numbers. It was reported
by Wang et al. [105] and Wang and Chi [106] that friction does not
depend on a number of rows. Borrajo-Pelez et al. [107] presented
a numerical study in 3D to compare both the air-to-water side and
the air-side model of a nned-tube heat exchanger. In their
simulations, the effect of the pitch of ns on the heat transfer
and friction coefcients in the range between 0.75 and 4 mm was
studied. The impact of n pitches on the heat transfer for the

Fig. 7. The graphing of the j factor and n friction with RePL [98,99].

Fig. 8. The mean coefcients of heat transfer for plain plate-nned tubes (571 ns/
m) having on to six rows. Same geometry dimensions as Fig. 6 [99,100].

discrete smooth plate n and tube heat exchanger at the air-side

was studied experimentally [108]. They used in-line and staggered
n alignments. The n spacing was varied from 7.5 mm to 15 mm,
the number of tube rows was 24, and the Re number was in the
range of 500 rRer800. The heat transfer factors (j) were around
6.011.6% higher in the discrete type compared with a continuous
smooth plate nned-tube heat exchanger. An experimental study
of thermal and ow characteristics in nned elliptic tube heat
exchangers with a tube eccentricity of 0.5 [107]. The isothermal
ns condition and range of ow was 200 rRer1500. The results
were presented in the form of local and Nu numbers and friction
and Colburn j-factors.

4. Optimum spacing
The demand for an increase in energy has been rising in all
facets of society. The answer to this demand is intelligent use of
available energy. Utilization of available energy for optimization of
industrial processes (exergy) has been the most popular research
topic recently. This is owing to the extensive use of heat exchangers in industrial applications such as with tubes arrangements,
nned and un-nned, refrigeration, serving as heat exchangers in
air conditioners, heaters etc. Heat exchanging equipment in these
devices has to be designed so they can be accommodated by the
devices which enclose them. Therefore, an optimized heat exchanger would provide maximum heat transfer for a given space [70].
Such equipment should strike a balance between reduction in size,
or in volume taken and maintenance or enhancement of its
performance.
The design basis for choosing the spacing among the geometric
advantages of a group of xed size (such as, area or volume) like
this that the overall thermal behavior between the tube array and
uid ow. Experimental investigation of heat exchangers with
nned elliptical tubes, as carried out by [50,109,110], shows a
relative pressure drop reduction of up to 30% with the relative heat
transfer gain observed in the elliptical arrangements when
weighed with the circular ones. A hybrid mathematical model
for nned circular and elliptic tubes arrangements was formulated
by Rocha et al. [111]. This model is based on energy conservation
and heat transfer coefcients achieved from an experiment of
naphthalene sublimation through a heat and mass transfer analogy [112,113]. Fin temperature and n efciency in one and two
row elliptic tube and plate n heat exchangers are obtained
numerically. A relative n efciency gain of up to 18% was detected
with the elliptical arrangement when n efciency results for
plate n and circular tube heat exchangers were compared with
the outcomes of Rosman et al. [114]. The optimal plate-to-plate
spacing and maximum overall heat conductance for laminar
forced convection were studied by Bejan and Sciubba [115]. They
used two boundary conditions applied on the surfaces of the plate:
both uniform heat ux and uniform temperature. The Prandtl
number was in the range of 0.71 rPrr 1000. They found that the
optimized space between the plates is proportional to the pressure
head (p) the upped to the power (  0.25), plate length L0.5, and
property set ()0.25. The maximum overall thermal conductance is
proportional to (p)0.5. Cooling was performed by the use of
forced convection, the previous studies containing the results of
optimum spacing between parallel plates [116] and plates with
cylinders [42,60]. Jubran et al. [117] carried out an experimental
investigation of the inuence of shroud clearance, wasting pins,
and n pitch on the heat transfer coefcient with circular pin ns
in both in-line and staggered congurations. The researchers
found a small and a powerful inuence of the wasting pins in
the in-line and staggered arrangements, respectively. On the other
hand, they found the optimum spacing between the ns in both

T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

streamwise and spanwise directions regardless of which shroud

clearance and arrangement type was used. Later, previous work
was extended by Bejan [118], who conrmed the optimal spacing
between tubes. He explained that this optimal spacing decreases
with the Prandtl number as well as the pressure drop and
increases with the bundle length. The experimental and numerical
results for optimal spacing with the maximum thermal conductance are explained and correlated analytically by intersecting the
small-spacing and large-spacing asymptotes of the thermal conductance function [119]. The optimal spacing between tubes with
cooling by free convection [120]. Matos et al. [121] carried out a
numerical study of the heat transfer characteristics of air ow over
a circular and elliptical tube heat exchanger using the nite
element method. The staggered conguration was used for the
tube arrangement. The Reynolds numbers dened for the parameter of the characteristic length ranged from 300 to 800. Their
results showed that there was a relative gain of 13% for the heat
transfer and a pressure drop reduction of up to 25% with the
elliptical tube. In addition, they reported the results of the circular
and elliptical tubes with the same construction area for the ow.
Matos et al. [122] extended the previous work in 3D numerical and
experimental investigations. The two Reynolds numbers based on
the swept length (Re) are 852 and 1065. The main results obtained
by this study are that there is a gain in heat transfer (thermal
conductance) of up to 19% and a reduction in relative material
mass of up to 32% in the optimal elliptic tubes conguration
compared with the optimal circular tubes conguration. The
results of the nned tube optimization for experimental and
numerical at e0.5 with regard to eccentricities and space
between tubes, as is illustrated in Fig. 9. Fig. 10 shows the

temperature distribution on n for plate nned-tube heat exchangers with four tube rows for circular and elliptic tube. Investigations and improvements of the traditional circular tube banks have
been found by many different numerical methods and CFD codes
in both the laminar and the turbulent regime. Design optimizations of heat exchangers were found for the size of tubes with
spacing and arrangements by different algorithms [123126].
Fig. 11 shows some perceptions of the temperature and ow elds
of design for the optimal design number 894 [126]. Mainardes
et al. [127] experimentally studied the reduction of the power
pumping required to supply air over nned circular and elliptic
tube banks. Their results were presented for Reynolds numbers
dened in the small axis of the ellipse varying between 2650 and
10,600. Tube pitches of 0.25 rPT/2br0.6 and eccentricities ranging from 0.4 to 1.0 were used. They found a reduction in the
pumping power of around 510% with the optimal elliptic tube
conguration compared with the circular tube conguration.

5. Correlations of thermouids
Based on the relevant data available until 1933, Colburn [128]
suggested a simple correlation for ow and heat transfer in
staggered tube banks as follows:
Nu 0:33  Re0:6 Pr 1=3

This correlation is used with 10 or more tube rows in the

direction of ow in a staggered conguration and for
10 oReo4  104. The characteristics of heat transfer for both inline and staggered tube bank congurations were studied experimentally by Grimison [129]. Based on a correlation of the empirical results of several researchers, a correlation is given as follows:
Nu C  Ren

Fig. 9. The experimental and numerical for nned congurations [122].

373

Fig. 11. Perceptions of the temperature and ow elds of design 347 for
Tper 13.48 K, Pshell 25.40 Pa/m [126].

Fig. 10. The temperature distribution on n for plate n heat exchangers with four-row tubes. (a) S/2b 0.5, e1, f 0:006 and ReL 852; (b) S/2b 0.5, e 0.5, f 0:006
and ReL 852 [122].

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T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

For the empirical correlation above, only the air ow can be

used; it works well for ten or more rows in a deep. For a row
number of less than 10, Kays and London [109] developed its
correction by giving a factor C2, dened as follows:
C2

hNR
h10

where hNR and h10 are the coefcient of heat transfer for NR rows
(fewer than 10) and 10 or more rows; thus the rewritten equation
(3) gives
NujNR o 10 C 2  NujNR Z 10

The correlation constants of C, C2, and n are contained in the

form of tables in most textbooks on heat transfer (e.g.,
[44,129,130]) for both in-line and staggered congurations. Grimison [129] also used the second way to obtain the following
expression:
Nu 0:32  F a  Re0:61 Pr 0:31

and provided graphical values for the tube conguration factor (Fa)
obtained by Grimison [129] with changes in the value of the Re
number for dimensionless longitudinal and transverse pitches.
A slight modication of the above Eq. (4) was done by Hausen [131],
who offered a new correction for Fa in place of the graphic
representation by Grimison [129] for the staggered conguration
Nu 0:35  F a  Re0:57 Pr 0:31

with
F a 1 0:1  P L

0:34
PT

for in-line conguration

Nu 0:34  F a  Re0:61 Pr 0:31

with

)


(
7:17
0:266
1000 1=2
 6:52
 0:12
F a 1 PL
2
PL
Re
P T  0:8

10

Additionally they used the isothermal boundary condition by

Khan et al. [62], which was modied slightly by Grimison's
equation [129] and employed the analytical solution for the heat
transfer in a tube bundle; the correlation is given by
Nu C a  Re1=2 Pr 1=3

11

can be employed with for the in-line conguration

P 0:285
C a 0:25 exp  0:55  P L   P 0:212
L
T
0:61  P 0:053
P 0:091
L
T
1  2  exp  1:09  P L 

Generally, we want to know a Nu number for the whole tube

bundle containing 16 or more rows. ukauskas [10] suggested an
empirical correlation of the form
Nu C  C 1  Rem Pr n

The deviation of correlation above about 75% in the ranges of

PL/D1.23.2, c/D 0.180.16, and Re 0.8  1044  104. The end
correlations are worth to the heat exchanger design of a single
tube row near to the wall shell with the convection type of heat
transfer.
McQuiston [101], Gray and Webb [136], Kim et al. [137], and
Wang et al. [138] formulated the correlations to predict the j and f
factors versus Reynolds number for plain on staggered tube
arrangement. Figs. 6 and 7 show the data of Rich [98,100] that
the McQuistion correlation is based on, including three other
studies. In addition to the data from two more researchers, the
same data was used by Gray and Webb [136]. Even though the
heat transfer correlations from McQuiston [102] and the Gray and
Webb [136] are similar in accuracy, the friction factor from Gray
and Webb [136] is far more accurate.
The heat transfer from Gray and Webb [136] for four or more
tube rows of staggered tube geometry is
 0:031    0:502
p
PT
j4 0:14  ReD  0:328 F
14
Do
PL
The assumption made in Eq. (14) is that the fourth row
stabilizes the heat transfer coefcient, so in case of more than
four tube rows and less than four; the j-factor is governed by the
correlation as shown on the data in Fig. 8. It is represented by:
"
   0:031 #0:6074  NR
jNR
 0:092 N R
0:991  2:24  ReD
15
j4
4
The McQuiston [101] correlation gives results similar to that of
the correlation obtained from Eqs. (14) and (15) 89% of the data for
16 heat exchangers was correlated within 710%. The rst of the
two terms assumed by the Gray and Webb [136] friction correlation for the pressure drop to be composed of, is the drag force on
the ns. While discussing Fig. 8, its model was laid down. Eq. (16)
gives the friction factor of the heat exchanger



AF
AF
tF
1
f f F f F 1
16
A
A
pF
Friction factor associated with ns can be determined by
 1:318
p
f F 0:508  ReD  0:521 F
17
Do

for the staggered conguration

Ca

to 4 104, and the clearance ratio (c) distance between wall and
tube centre was varied from 0.05 to 4.0. The longitudinal pitch (PL)
ratio between the centre-to-centre tube-to-tube diameter ranged
from 1.2 to 4.4. The correlation of the overall Nusselt number
resulted in the agreement is:
   0:12  0:23
PL
c
Nu 0:103  Re0:74
13
D
D

12

The correlation constants C, m, and n, and the parameter C1 are

contained, in the form of tables, in most textbooks on heat transfer
(e.g., [129,130]) for both in-line and staggered congurations.
Further information can be found in Ref. [132]. They displayed the
measurement values of the heat transfer in the empirical correlations. For both in-line and staggered congurations, Grimison [129]
correlated the measurements for each test done by Huge [133] and
Pierson [134]. This empirical correlation was related to the tube
bundle for 10 or more tube rows in the direction of ow. The experimental study of air ow over an in-line tube near a wall was presented by Aiba [135]. The Reynolds number ranged from 0.8 104

Correlation for ow normal to a staggered bank of plain tubes

gives the friction factor related to the tubes (ft). In order to
calculate the tube contributions (pt) the ukauskas [10] tube
banks correlation were used by Gray and Webb [136], also
presented in Incropera et al. [130]. The nned-tube exchanger
_ at which ft is calculated.
has the same mass of data velocity m
95% of the data for 19 heat exchangers was correlated by Eq. (16)
within 713%. The equation can be applied to any number of tube
rows. Although a ction correlation was developed by McQuiston
[101] for the same data, it has signicantly high error limits, 167/
12%. The dimensionless parameter employed in the develop of
Gray and Webb correlation in the ranging of 1.97 rPT/Do r 2.55,
1.7 rPL/Do r2.58, 0.08 rpf/Do r0.64, and 500 rReD r24700. In
their recent work, Seshimo and Fujii [139] tested 35 heat exchangers, having methodically varied geometric parameters to give
more generalized correlation for staggered banks of plain ns with

T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

Table 2
The constant of the Eqs. (19) and (20) [99].

Table 3
The correlations constant for Eq. (25) [142].

Conguration

c1

c2

One-row
Tow-row

0.38
0.47

1.07
0.89

0.43
0.83

35.1
24.7

one to ve tube rows. Three tube diameters (6.35, 7.97, and

9.52 mm) were used with the multi-row designs using an equilateral triangular pitch. Four n densities, from 454 to 1000 ns/m
were considered for obtaining data. One-row designs with the
different transverse tube pitch and n depth prove that using an
entrance length parameter the one-and two data may be separately correlated. Reynolds number (ReDvh ) dened in the term of
the volumetric hydraulic diameter (Dvh) and was used to correlate
their data. Volumetric hydraulic diameter can be computed by
4
Dvh Am L
A

where AmL is the total volume of the exchanger minus the volume
of the tube banks.
The entrance length parameter used to correlate one-and tworow data is: Dvh ReDvh Pr  Dvh =L. The correlations are given by
Nu 2:1  Dvh n

19

f  L  Dvh c1 c2  Dvh  m

20

The constant parameters for Eqs. (19) and (20) tabulated in

Table 2.
Vortex shedding from the tubes proved to be an important
factor as these entrance length based correlations for three or
more rows failed over entire Reynolds number range 200 oReDh
o800. Using conventional Nu number and Reynolds number
(ReDh) and ow based on the smallest ow area, data were
correlated for ReDh 4400. The one-row variant of Eqs. (19) and
(20) correlated the data for one to ve rows for ReDh o 400. Tube
diameters as small as 5.0 mm is used in a certain window air
conditioner, which goes to show that the tube diameter used in
nned-tube heat exchangers is decreasing. Kim et al. [137]
included data from Wang and Chi [138] for heat exchanger having
7 mm diameter tubes to revise the correlation from Gray and
Webb [136]. For tube diameters larger than 7 mm, the Kim et al.
[137] correlation calculated the data with comparable accuracy as
obtained by Ref. [134]. It was an appreciable improvement for the
7 mm tube data. Tube diameters as small as 6.7 mm were used by
Wang et al. [138] to develop another general correlation. Comparisons were drawn between Kim et al. [137] and Wang et al. [138]
correlations at ReD 2500 for 1r NR r3, 1.3 rpf r3.0 mm. The
predicted j-factor by Kim et al. [137] for heat exchangers having
9.5 mm-OD tubes, are in line with those by Wang [140] correlation
within 710%. Approximately the same j-factor for NR 3 was
obtained for the 7 mm tube conguration, for the two correlations.
However, the difference varied inversely with the row number. A
higher friction factor is predicted by Kim et al. [137] correlation
than Wang et al. [138] correlation. For three or more tube rows,
the Kim et al. [137] correlation is
j3 0:163  Red  0:369

PT

PL

Inline conguration

Staggered conguration

pF
Do

0:0138 

PT
do

0:13 

PT
PL

0:106
;

NR Z 3

"
   0:123  1:17    0:564 #3  NR
jN R
p
PT
PT
1:043  ReD  0:14 F
;
j3
Do
Do
PL

21

N R 1; 2

22

Sh
1.25
1.25
1.5
1.5
2.0

1.25
1.5
1.25
1.5
2.0

0.561
0.851
0.285
0.316
0.343

0.643
0.593
0.681
0.685
0.625

1.147
1.019
0.871
0.854
0.881

0.569
0.582
0.565
0.564
0.524

f
1.25
1.25
1.5
1.5
2.0

1.25
1.5
1.25
1.5
2.0

1.795
1.958
1.121
1.168
0.907

0.162
0.165
0.133
0.130
0.127

2.310
2.377
1.949
1.837
1.519

0.165
0.162
0.171
0.155
0.158

18

375

f F 1:455  ReD  0:656

pF
Do

  0:134 

PT
Do

1:23 

PT
PL

  0:347

23

Kim et al. [137] correlation was used by Jakob [141] for the
friction factor due to tubes, ft, which is shown by
(
) 

0:188
PT
 0:16
0:25

1
24

fT
1:08 ReD
4
Do
P T =Do  1
The friction factor of the heat exchanger is calculated by
Eq. (16).
Another numerical correlation was suggested by Zhang and Li
[142] for estimation of the Sherwood number and friction loss
according to a wide assortment of bank geometries and working
conditions. The average Sherwood number and friction factor
correlation was as follows:
)
Sh c  Ren Sc0:333
25
f c  Ren
The correlation parameters c and n are tabulated in Table 3.
The number of tube rows is more than 10 and the range of
Reynolds numbers of these correlations is 100500. These correlations have an accuracy of more than 98% for numerical data. Xie
et al. [63] presented numerical corrections for the Nusselt number
and friction factor of the air-side n-and-tube heat exchangers.
The correlations were validated in the ranges of 0.67r u1 r 4.0,
16 mm rDo r20 mm, 2 mm rpf r 4 mm, 32 mm rPT r36 mm,
38 mm rPL r46 mm, and 1  103 r Rer 6  103. These correlations are more accurate and authoritative which was developed
from Wang et al. [138] for extensive ranges of validation. The
Nusselt number correlation is dened as


 
p  0:165 P T 0:0558
Nu 1:565  Re0:3414 N R  F
Do
PL

26

Elsewhere, the friction factor correlation is given by Eq. (2.26)



 
p  0:1676 P T 0:6265
f 20:713  Re  0:3489 N R  F
Do
PL

27

The mean deviation between the predicted and numerical

values was around 3.7% and 6.5% in the Nu number and f
correlations, respectively. Numerical and experimental methods
for nding the coefcient of heat transfer in heat exchangers with
extended ns were studied recently by Taler [143]. He used the
non-linear regression method to determine the Nusselt number on
both the water-and the air-side. On the other hand, the author
used the LevenbergMarquardt method to calculate the lower

376

T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

Table 4
Details more correlations with condition and geometry parameters.
Researchers
Paeng et al. [52]
Xie et al. [63]

Correlations

Conditions

1=3
Nu 0:049  ReD 0:784 Prf
 0:0558 
  0:165
Nu 1:565  Re0:3414  PP 12
N R DpFo

1082 r ReD r 1649

Stagg.

N E

Cir.

0.46.0

1  103 oReo6  103

16 mm rDo r 20 mm,
2 mm r pF r4 mm,
38 mm r P1 r46 mm,
32 mm mm rP2 r 36 mm
200r Rea r 1500

Stagg.

Cir.

3.7

In-lin.

200r Rer 1700

In-lin.

T E

Cir.

2.5

10r Rer 4  104,

NR Z 10
5  102 oReo3  104,
11:2 r Ao =At r 23:5
4.5  103 r Rer2.7  104,
0.336r H/Dr 0.516
150r Rer 350
ReZ 1  104,
0.7 r Pr r100,
L/D Z 60
PL 1.0,
1.97r PT r 3.16,
Reo 6400
Re4 6400
40r Rer 800,
0.1 rPr r 10

Gen.

Stagg.

Cir.

8.2

Stagg.

Cir.

Auto. radiator
Auto. radiator

E
E

Elp.
Gen.

Stagg.

Elp.

In-lin.
Stagg.
Stagg.

Cir.

Cir.

5.9

In-lin.

Cir.

3.8

Stagg.
In-lin.
Stagg.

E
E

Elp.
Cir.

6.2
14.5
5.7

f 20:713  Re  0:3489 
Taler [76]
Rosman et al. [114]
Colburn [128]

Nua 0:06963  Rea 0:6037 Pra 1=3

h
i
Nu 3:58 8:46  10  4 Re1:24  Pr 0:4
Nu 0:33  Re0:6 Pr 1=3
   0:362

Kayansayan [144]

j 0:15  Re  0:28

Chen and Ren [145]

Nu 0:191  Re0:68 Pr 0:4

Taler [143]
Dittus and Boelter [146]

Nu 0:085  Re0:712 Pr 1=3

Nu 0:023  Re0:8 Pr 0:3

Merker and Hanke [147]

Sh 1:181  Re0:480

Chen and Wung [148]

Wang et al. [149]

 0:6265 
  0:168
P1
N R DpFo
P2

Ao
Ato

Sh 1:212  Re0:676
Nu 0:8  Re0:4 Pr 0:37
Nu 0:78  Re0:45 Pr 0:38
Nu 1:7  NuZ
Nu 1:38  NuZ

Kim and Kim [150]

j 0:710  ReDh  N R  0:141 pF 0:384

Khan et al. [151]

Jacimovic et al. [152]

Nu 0:33  Re0:64 Pr 1=3


0:65
W  0:7
f Re180
0:85 0:52  Rd

NR 41,
Reo 500
NR 41,
500o Reo 1000
600r ReDh r 2000,
7.5 r pF r 15,
1r NR r 4
1  104 rRer3.6  104
300o Reo 4000

Geometry parameters

Method

Tube shape

Deviation (%)

6.5

Elp.

A: analytic study; Auto: automotive;; Cir: circular tube; E: experimental study; Elp: elliptic tube; N: numerical study; In-lin: in-line conguration; S: simulation study; and
Stagg: staggered conguration.

value of the sum of squares error. Further correlations which are

available are summarized in Table 4.

6. Flat tube and other shapes

In this section, shows the focus reviews of research in the at
tube and other tube shapes (i.e., came, wing). The at tube has two
diameters small and large diameters called are transverse and
longitudinal, respectively. Both in-line and staggered congurations of nned at tube heat exchanger are presented in Fig. 1(c)
and (d).
6.1. In-line and staggered congurations
There is a little previous literature on the heat transfer and uid
ow over the banks of at tubes, excluding the contemporary
studies of [153157]. Bahaidarah et al. [158] carried out a numerical investigation of steady, laminar, incompressible, 2D ow over
a at tubes bundle. They used both an in-line and a staggered
arrangement and calculated the best conguration from the viewpoint of the heat transfer. Benarji et al. [153] presented the results
for a 2D, incompressible, and unsteady ow over the in-line and
staggered at tube arrangements under isoux and isothermal
boundary conditions. From the standpoint of heat transfer, the inline arrangement shows better performance than the staggered
arrangement in most of the cases. However, the values of dimensionless pressure drop are higher in the staggered arrangement
compared with the in-line arrangement. Tahseen et al. [159] have

a numerical studied of the heat transfer for air ow over a two

staggered at tube conguration. They have shown the effect of Re
number on the heat transfer coefcient. They results show that the
heat transfer coefcient increase with an increase of Re number
always. In the following year, Tahseen et al. [160] carried out
analyzed numerically the thermal and uid characteristics of air
ow in an in-line at tube bundle conguration. They used the
neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFAS) model to predict values of
heat transfer coefcient and pressure drop. They examined the
transverse pitches from 1.5 to 4.5 with interval 1.0, and three
longitudinal pitches are 3, 4 and 6, for the Re number ranging from
10 to 320. They results were presented in the forms Nu number,
dimensionless pressure drop, streamline and temperature contours. The key results from this study that the average deviation
between the numerical and ANFIS model values for Nu number is
1.9%, and the dimensionless pressure drop is 2.97%. Webb and
Iyengar [161] carried out an experimental study of nned-tube
heat exchangers with both oval and circular tubes and compared
them from the standpoint of the air-side performance. The values
of the heat transfer coefcient are approximately equal in both
circular and oval tubes heat exchangers. However, the pressure
drop was lower than 10% in the oval tube compared with the
circular tube heat exchangers. The heat transfer and pressure drop
of staggered at tube banks were studied experimentally. Numerical
studies of ow and heat transfer in a heat exchanger with staggered
conguration were carried out for circular and wing-shaped tubes
[162], circular, elliptic, and wing-shaped tubes, [163], and circular
and elliptic tubes [164]. They used transient numerical simulations
of the ow and heat transfer. The results of all studies are shown in

T.A. Tahseen et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43 (2015) 363380

the form of the average drag coefcient (Cd) and average Stanton
number (St ). They found higher values of Cd and the St number in
circular tubes, whereas the difference between the values of Cd was
small at a large hydraulic diameter as well as St number. Wang et al.
[165] carried out numerical and experimental studies to obtain the
performances of heat transfer in a nned at tube heat exchanger.
In the numerical part, they used the two boundary conditions on
the n walls. The rst uniform temperature and the second
conjugate numerical method. They found that the deviation in the
average heat transfer coefcient obtained from the two ways of
boundary conditions is higher than 5% for a n efciency of less
than 80%, whereas the deviation is less than 5% for n efciency
higher than 80%, but the appropriate choice is the conjugate
method. They claimed that the reported results provide a standard
to help researchers to select an appropriate numerical method for
nding the n style in a more reliable and efcient way.
6.2. Tubes array between parallel plates
A Heat Exchanger Module (HEM) was used to obtain the
distribution of temperature and heat transfer over a series of
circular tubes conned between parallel plates in a numerical study
carried out by Kundu et al. [166]. Three Reynolds numbers were
tested: 50, 200, and 500, with three pitches between plates (H/D)
and tube pitches (L/D). The values of H/D were 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0, and
those of L/D were 2.0, 3.0 and 6.0. They found that the bulk
temperature rose almost linearly from one HEM to another HEM
for an equal rate of heat transfer from all modules for the case of
fully developed ow. In the same year, they studied the pressure
drop and heat transfer [167]. In the following year, Kundu et al.
[168] conducted an experimental study of the pressure drop and
heat transfer for laminar and turbulent ow over a series of in-line
circular tubes conned to a parallel plates channel within the range
of 220rRer2800. They compared the numerical results with the
data of laminar ow. The results presented were in reasonably good
agreement. In a more recent review, Bahaidarah et al. [169]
developed a numerical model of the ow past in-line tubes in
circular, oval, at, and diamond arrays between parallel plates at the
range of Reynolds numbers of 25350. Their results show that the
heat transfer rate is lower in the diamond tubes for all Reynolds
numbers. For Reo50, the ow and geometry were key factors
inuencing the heat transfer performance, while at Re450 the
geometric shape has a signicant inuence on the performance.
Similar numerical study for at tube carried out by Tahseen et al.
[170] using the nite volume method for solve the continuity,
momentum and energy equations with the used body tted
coordinates (BFC) to be transformed from the physical domain to
the computational domain. The Re number varies within the range
is 25300, and three longitudinal pitches of 24 at the Pr number
taken of 0.7. Jue et al. [171] studied the ow and heat transfer
characteristics of a cross-ow of three heated cylinders arranged in
the form of an isosceles triangle conned between two parallel
plates. They used the nite element method to solve the continuity,
momentum, and energy equations. The average changes in the drag
coefcient and the time Nu number around the surface of three
cylinders were investigated in each cylinder. The calculation was
carried out with 100rRer300 and 0.5rgap/diameterr1.25.

7. Future work
Flat tubes are vital components in various technical applications
like modern heat exchangers, automotive radiators, automotive air
conditioning evaporators, and condensers. In comparison to the
round tube heat exchangers, at tube heat exchangers are expected
to have smaller air-side pressure drop and improved air-side heat

377

transfer coefcients. For the above reasons, the optimum spacing (e.
g., tube-to-tube, n-to-n) with the maximum overall heat conductance (heat transfer rate) and minimum pressure drop needs more
focus and research in the future. In addition, more works are needed
to develop the thermouid correlations in tubes of this shape.

8. Conclusions
A comprehensive literature survey on plain plate nned and
un-nned tube heat exchangers with many shapes of tubes (e.g.,
circular, elliptic, at) has been provided. The work focused on and
presented the thermouid characteristics of heat exchangers
depending on several parameters: external uid velocity, tube
conguration (in-line/staggered, series), tube spacing, n spacing,
shape of tube, and so on.
The main conclusions of this review are summarized as follows:

 All studies (analytic, numerical, and experimental) show that











the heat transfer coefcient and pressure drop increase with

increased external velocity of uid.
Few studies focused on the effect of tube diameter in a circular
tube while many researchers studied the effect of the axis ratio
in an elliptic tube on the thermal and uid ow characteristics.
The staggered conguration shows the high heat transfer coefcient compared with the in-line conguration for nned and unnned tube heat exchangers regardless of the tube shape.
The heat transfer coefcient and pressure drop increase with
increased n density.
Many researchers have shown the effect of transverse tube pitch
on the heat transfer coefcient and pressure drop, and all studies
show that the heat transfer and pressure drop increase as the
transverse tube pitch decreases for nned and un-nned tube
heat exchangers with in-line and staggered congurations.
Based on this review and previous studies published in the
literature, one can infer that the form of the tube and the order
have a signicant effect on heat transfer.
This current review is very useful in terms of enhancing the
thermal and uid ow characteristics and development of the
correlations for thermouid characteristics in heat exchangers.
In future works, further research needs to be carried out to
develop the correlations for heat transfer and uid ow in tube
banks heat exchangers with the at tube shape.
Finally, the optimum design (tube-to-tube and n-to-n spacing)
in a at tube heat exchanger needs more work and more focus.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the Universiti
Malaysia Pahang for the nancial support under Project no.
RDU120103.
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