Heat Enhancement Effectiveness Using Multiple Twisted Tape in Rectangular Channels

Abstract

Heat enhancement and heat removal have been the subject of considerable research in the energy system field. Flow-through channels and pipes have received much attention from engineers involved in heat exchanger design and construction. The use of insert tape is one of many ways to mix fluids, even in a laminar flow regime. The present study focused on the use of different twisted tapes with different pitch-to-pitch distances and lengths to determine the optimum design for the best possible performance energy coefficient. The results revealed that twisted tape of one revolution represented the optimal design configuration and provided the largest Nusselt number. The length of the tape played a major role in the pressure drop. The results revealed that the insertion of a shorter twisted tape can create mixing while minimizing the changes in the pressure drop. In particular, the best performance evaluation criterion is found for a short tape located towards the exit of the channel. The highest performance energy coefficient was obtained for the half-twisted tape for a Reynolds number varying between 200 and 600.

Keywords

• rectangular channels
• twisted tape inserts
• laminar flow
• forced convection
• water
• heat enhancement