Proceedings of Symposium on Energy Engineering in the 21st Century (SEE2000) Volume I-IV

ISBN Print: 1-56700-132-7

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS ON LAMINAR FLOW AND HEAT TRANSFER IN STAGGERED ELLIPTIC TUBE BANKS

DOI: 10.1615/SEE2000.180
pages 199-205

Abstract

Numerical analysis based on the finite difference method has been made on laminar flow and heat transfer in staggered elliptic tube banks at low Reynolds number. Details of the flow and heat transfer characteristics are clarified for the fully developed flow state under the condition of uniform heat flux. The pressure loss coefficient, the local and mean heat transfer coefficients are presented along with the flow and temperature fields. Effects of the longitudinal and transversal pitch ratios and the axis ratio of elliptic cylinder upon them are made clear. It is found that a decrease of the longitudinal pitch ratio results in an increase of the pressure loss and the heat transfer. On the other hand, a decrease of the transversal pitch ratio causes a drastic increase of the pressure loss. In the case of a large axis ratio, the heat transfer coefficient first increases with a decrease of the transversal pitch ratio, becomes maximum within a range from 1.1 to 1.2 of the transversal pitch ratio, and then decreases. The axis ratio greatly effects these characteristics. These results suggest that an appropriate arrangement of the elliptic tube enhances the heat transfer performance of the tube bank.