Experimental Investigation of the Vortex Generator Effects on a Gas Liquid Finned Tube Heat Exchanger Using Irreversibility Analysis

• Published in: Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering Vol. 39; no. 3; pp. 2107 - 2116
• Main Authors: Ghazikhani, M., Khazaee, I., Monazzam, S. M. S., Taghipour, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.03.2014
• Subjects: Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Research Article - Mechanical Engineering; Science; Vortex generator; Exergy effectiveness; Finned tube heat exchanger; Irreversibility analysis
• ISSN: 1319-8025; 2191-4281
• DOI: 10.1007/s13369-013-0750-7

In the present work, the effect of wedge-shaped tetrahedral vortex generator (VG) on a gas liquid finned tube heat exchanger is experimentally investigated using irreversibility analysis. In this experiment, a wind tunnel system is used for forcing ambient air with mass flow rates of 0.047–0.072 kg/s across the finned tube heat exchanger. Hot water with constant flow rate of 240 L/h is circulated inside heat exchanger tubes at steady-state condition with inlet temperature range of 45–73 ◦ C. The tests are carried out on the flat finned heat exchanger and then repeated on the VG finned heat exchanger. The results show that using mounted VGs lowered the air side irreversibility to heat transfer ratio (ASIHR) of heat exchanger. It is mainly because; the air side irreversibility decreases with heat transfer enhancement associated with lower temperature differences between air and water sides. To reveal the effects of these VGs on the heat exchanger, the VG performance based on air side irreversibility is quantified by the improved air side irreversibility to heat transfer ratio (IASIHR). The results indicate that the IASIHR is more than 1.05.