Use of computational fluid dynamics in the design and analysis of heat exchange devices

Abstract

A high-performance heat exchanging devices are gaining traction in many applications. This study aims to investigate heat transfer in a microchannel heat exchanger. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed to examine performance under various flow conditions, assuming a steady-state operating condition. The effectiveness of the heat exchanger is studied by varying the inlet flow rate, with investigations conducted for different Reynolds numbers ranging from 200 to 2000. A single channel repeating unit from both the hot and cold sides of the heat exchanger is modeled. The effectiveness of the heat exchanger is determined using the inlet and outlet thermal condition of the heat transfer fluids. The thermal performance of the heat exchanger, including effectiveness and overall heat transfer coefficient, is examined for different flow rates. The effectiveness of the heat exchanger strongly depends on the channel size. It is found that increasing the Reynolds number decreases effectiveness while increasing the overall heat transfer coefficient. It is concluded that the use of microchannel can significantly improve the performance of heat exchangers in many applications. Using CFD can be substantial enhance understanding of fluid and heat transfer in heat exchanging devices.

Keywords: Simulation, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer, Microchannels

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005586