MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR AIR FLOW IN HEAT

EXCHANGER SINUSOIDAL FINS

Angela PLEŞA, Dan OPRUŢA, Monica BALCĂU, Paula UNGUREŞAN

UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICĂ DIN CLUJ-NAPOCA

Rezumat. Această lucrare prezintă un model matematic de calcul termic şi fluidodinamic specific pentru
curgerea aerului prin canale cu nervuri ondulate sinusoidale. Acest model este aplicat pe un set de
schimbătoare de căldură testate în acest scop. Caracteristicile de transfer termic sunt determinate prin
numărul Stanton, factorul Colburn şi numărul Nussel, în timp ce caracteristicile fluidodinamice sunt
exprimate prin viteza de deplasare a aerului, numărul Reynolds corespunzător şi coeficientul de rezistenţă
la frecare.
Cuvinte cheie: sinusoidal fin, heat exchanger, thermal parameters, flow.

Abstract. The mathematical model for the thermal calculus and the flow through a compact heat exchanger with
plate and sinusoidal fins is presented. In order to test the method a lot of different geometry of the heat
exchangers was used. The thermal characteristics are given by Stanton number, Colburn factor and Nusselt
number. They were calculated using measured values of the flow parameters. The flow parameters are the
velocity, the Reynolds number and the friction coefficient. A comparison between the calculated values and the
measured values obtained on the testing in experimental stand was made.
Key words: sinusoidal fin, heat exchanger, thermal parameters, flow.

1. INTRODUCTION
The geometry of a heat exchanger has a major gw
importance in obtaining better performances, such as a
hw
high thermal transfer coefficient and a low pressure
loss. In order to generate the mathematical model for gn hn
the calculus of the flow and thermal parameters in
sinusoidal fins some geometries were designed. The
geometry of the fins is presented in figure 1 and the its Laer
dimensions are presented in figure 2,
pn

Fig. 2. The dimensions of the air channel.

The method presented in this paper was developed

by the authors and was the based of a dedicated soft-
ware for designing the plate and fins heat exchangers.
The software was tested on an experimental stand, also
designed by the authors [1].

2. THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL

Fig. 1. Sinusoidal fin.
We consider the geometry of a plate and fins heat
exchanger having plane channels for hot thermal agent
1, and sinusoidal fins for the crossed forced air flow 2.
The temperature for the input and output agent in the
heat exchanger and their flow rates were determined on
the experimental stand. Some parameters such as the
global thermal coefficient, the thermal flux of the heat
exchangers and the temperature of the thermal transfer
wall of the hot water channel (tp1), were also experimen-
tal determined.

22 TERMOTEHNICA 2/2009
 Angela PLEŞA, Dan OPRUŢA, Monica BALCĂU, Paula UNGUREŞAN

Using the thermal convective transfer equation (1) Also Nusselt and Reynolds numbers depend of the
the temperature of the air channel wall (tp2), can also be hydraulic dyameter of the air flow channels.
determined: Due to the small dimensions of the flow channels
the heat exchangers can be design to work in laminar
• • λ ( t p1 − t p 2 ) ⋅ S
Q = q⋅ S = ⋅ ( t p1 − t p 2 ) ⋅ S = , [ W] (1) flow. In this case the fins are planar without any perfo-
δ Rt rations or interruptions. Mostly all the heat exchangers
are design and adpted on the experimental corellations.
where: R t = δ , [m 2 K / W] is the thermal resistance of These corellations can be graphical express, or they can
λ by simple equations, depending Reynolds number, such
the wall; δ = gw is the thickness of the wall (in mm). as:
As the hot watter convective coefficient and the
global transfer coefficient for the sinusoidal air passage j = a ⋅ Re b (10)
are known, (k2), using equation (2) the reduced air
convective coefficient, (α2k) was determined: The thermal transfer characteristics are given by
Stanton number, Colburn factor and Nusselt number:
1
k2 = , [W / m 2 K] (2) y
⎛
A2 ⎜ 1 δ ⎞
p ⎟ 1 ⎛ d 2 ech ⎞
x 1/ 3 ⎟ ⋅ Cf z
+ + Nu 2 c = C ⋅ Re 2 c ⋅ Pr ⋅⎜ (11)
A1 ⎜⎝ α1 λ p ⎟⎠ α 2 k ⎜L ⎟
⎝ d −aer ⎠
Using Newton equation the forced convective coef- where C is a constant, x, y and z depends of the heat
ficient for the air wall channel becomes: exchanger type and Cf is a coefficient depending of the
• geometry of the channel.
Q = α 2 S( t p 2 − t aer ), [ W ] (3) Some sinusoidal fin characteristics such as: air velo-
city (w2c), Reynolds number (Re2), friction coefficient
The connection between the two coefficients is: (f2 = cf ) were determined.
α2k = η2 ⋅ α2 ⇔ η2 ⋅ α2 − α2k = 0 (4) For some heat exchangers having profiled fins, input
and output parameters represents a small amount from
where:
the total pressure loss [3]. In these cases the friction
A n2
η2 = 1 − (1 − η n 2 ) (5) coefficient (cf) is:
A2
2
A w ρ L w2
is the efficiency of the sinusoidal surface and: Δp = c f = 4 ⋅ cf ρ (12)
S1 2 de 2
Qn th (m ⋅ h n )
ηn2 = = (6) where: de is the equivalent dyameter; U – the perimeter
Q n id m⋅hn
and L the lenght of the flow channel.
is the efficiency of the fin. For compact plate and fins heat exchangers the
values for the friction coefficient cf , can be graphical or
2α 2 −1 experimental determine
m= , [m ] (7)
λnδn n
cf = f 2 = f (Re) = m ⋅ Re (13)
represents the thermal load of the fin.
m and n coefficients give the variation between
The air convective coefficient (α2) and the perfor-
friction coefficient and Reynolds number for a specific
mances of the sinusoidal surface were determined using
fin geometry.
the above equations. It is very important that equation
(4) to be respected.
The thermal transfer depends of the Reynolds 3. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
number, de the geometry parameters of the fin, the The mathematical model was applied to some
entering angle of the jet. Every time it is given by the different geometry of heat exchangers, with the channel
dependence between Colburn and Reynolds numbers, as lenght Laer= 30, 45, 65, 95 şi 115 mm and fin pitch pn=4
it is in equation [2]: and 6,5 mm.
__ ___ The turbulence generated by the crossing of the air
α 2/3 Nu 2/3 jets and also by the changing of the velocity field due to
j= Pr = = St ⋅ Pr (8) the sinusoidal shape of the channel increase the convec-
• 1/ 3
m cp Re⋅ Pr
tive heat transfer. As the channel lenght Laer increase the
velocity and the turbulence decreases. At the same time
where α represents the thermal transfer coefficient at
the convective transfer will decrease also.
the surface (= α2) and St represents Stanton criteria: For a Laer constant, Nusselt number will be influ-
Nu 2 α2 enced bt convective flux (α 2 ) , increasing as Reynolds
St 2 = = (9)
Re 2 ⋅ Pr 2 ρ ⋅ c p ⋅ w 2 number increase (fig. 4).

TERMOTEHNICA 2/2009 23
MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR AIR FLOW IN HEAT EXCHANGER SINUSOIDAL FINS

α2-30 0.19
240
α2-45
→
0.17
α2-65 f2c-45 f2c-30
200
α2-95
[W/m K]

0.15
2

f2
160 α2-115 f2c-65
0.13
120
α2

0.11
f2c-115
80
0.09
500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000
f2c-95
0.07
Re 2 →
700 1000 2000 5000

Fig. 3. Air convective coefficient for different Reynolds Re2c

number, for pn = 6,5 mm and variable Laer.
Fig. 6. Friction coefficient (f2)
50 for pn= 4 mm.
→

Nu 45-4
Nu 30-4
Nu 65-4 4. CONCLUSIONS
Nu 95-4
Nu2

Sinusoidal fin surfaces generate small lenght of

Nu 115-4
20 the flow, wich means large thermal transfer con-
ductances. Brakings in the thermal transfer surfaces
improve the thermal transfer due to two different
aspects:
10
600 1000 2000 5000
− they prevent the growth of the boundary layer ;
Re 2c → − for values of Reynolds number higher than the
critical value, the braked surfaces generates a
Fig. 4. Nusselt in funcţion of Reynolds number
for pn = 4 mm and variable Laer. improvement of the thermal transfer due to the flow
oscillations wich permits the appearance of the
The dependence between Colburn and Reynolds vortices.
numbers for air flow in a channel is presented in Fig. 5. The boundary layer is changing for this kind of
For for pn= 4 mm and also 6,5 mm heat exchangers geometry and leaves the wall, generating vortices.
the friction coefficient decreases as Reynolds number The mathematical model presented in this paper
increases for Laer = ct. (fig. 6). permits the study of the influence of the convective heat
0.018
transfer due to Colburn factor (j), and also the thermal
performances of the sinusoidal fins due to the friction
coefficient.
0.016

j2c-30 5. REFERENCES
j2 c

0.014
[1] Angela Pleşa, Researches regarding plate and fins heat
j2c-45 exchangers used in thermal equipments, The doctoral
0.012 book, Univ. Tehnică Cluj-Napoca, 2007
j2c-115 [2] Nagi, M., Negru, I.D. – „Cercetări privind perfecţionarea
sub aspect funcţional al schimbătoarelor de cădură com-
0.01 j2c-65
pacte din aluminiu, cu nervuri ondulate, destinate
j2c-95 motoarelor cu ardere internă”, Conf.nat. term. Timişoara
0.008 1994, Vol.II, pg.74.
700 1000 2000 5000
[3] Opruţa Dan, Vaida Liviu, Pleşa Angela, „The flow simula-
Re 2c tion through a hydraulic rezistance”, Annals of DAAAM
for 2008 & Proceedings oct. 2008, Trnava, Slovakia,
Fig. 5. Colburn function for pn= 4 mm. Ed.B. KATALINIC, pp. 995-996, ISSN 1726-9679

24 TERMOTEHNICA 2/2009