Thermal Characteristics of a Primary Surface Heat Exchanger with Corrugated Channels

Abstract

This paper presents the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of a primary surface heat exchanger (PSHE) with corrugated surfaces. The PSHE was experimentally investigated for a Reynolds number range of 156–921 under various flow conditions on the hot and cold sides. The inlet temperature of the hot side was maintained at 40 °C, while that of the cold side was maintained at 20 °C. A counterflow was used as it has a higher temperature proximity in comparison with a parallel flow. The heat transfer rate and pressure drop were measured for various Reynolds numbers on both the hot and cold sides of the PSHE, with the heat transfer coefficients for both sides computed using a modified Wilson plot method. Based on the results of the experiment, both Nusselt number and friction factor correlations were suggested for a PSHE with corrugated surfaces.

Keywords

• primary surface heat exchanger (PSHE)
• corrugated surfaces
• Nusselt number
• friction factor
• correlation
• counterflow
• overall heat transfer coefficient (OHTC)
• heat transfer coefficient (HTC)