Evaluation of aerothermal performance of a round tube with regularly-spaced multi-channel twisted tape elements installed

Abstract

This article presents a study of aerothermal performance of tubes with regularly-spaced multi-channel twisted tape elements (RS-MTT) installed. This research aimed to find the proper design RS-MTTs that induce swirl flow which potentially improves fluid mixing between the core fluid and the fluid near the tube wall, thereby accelerating the heat transfer rate. Additionally, the effects of Reynolds numbers and free-spacing ratios (s/y) on heat transfer, friction loss, and thermal performance behaviors were examined. The RS-MTTs having different free-spacing ratios (s/y) of 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 were tested. Air was utilized as the testing fluid in experiments with Reynolds numbers (Re) spanning from 6000 to 20,000. The utilization of RS-MTTs with s/y = 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 augmented heat transfer rates up to 1.74, 1.80, 1.85, 1.90, and 2.15 times given by the plain tube alone while the friction factors increased by 4.22, 4.61, 3.87, and 4.05 times, respectively. At the lowest Reynolds number of 6000, the thermal enhancement factors of the tube containing the RS-MTTs with s/y = 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 reached the maximum values of 1.42, 1.35, 1.31, 1.27, and 1.23, respectively. Among the RS-MTTs tested, the RS-MTT with s/y = 0.0 showed the best thermal enhancement factor of 4.56%, corresponding to the heat transfer augmented of 11.52% with a friction penalty of 8.71%.