Comparison of various flow maldistribution quantification methods in mini heat exchangers
Abstract The aim of study is to compare various flow maldistribution quantification methods, using velocity, mass flow rate, pressure, and temperature. An experimentally validated numerical study has been prepared and a heat exchanger with 34 semi-circular channels with a diameter of 3.1 mm has been...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-07-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38784-5 |
| _version_ | 1797774244467179520 |
|---|---|
| author | Paweł Dąbrowski |
| author_facet | Paweł Dąbrowski |
| author_sort | Paweł Dąbrowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The aim of study is to compare various flow maldistribution quantification methods, using velocity, mass flow rate, pressure, and temperature. An experimentally validated numerical study has been prepared and a heat exchanger with 34 semi-circular channels with a diameter of 3.1 mm has been tested. The minichannels were heated from the bottom with a heat flux of 50, 60, 70, and 80 kW/m2. The cases for various inlet velocities of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 m/s have been tested. It results in a total of 16 cases with various heat flux and various inlet velocities of the water. Then, for every 16 cases, the flow maldistribution coefficients, widely used in the literature, have been calculated based on the velocity, pressure, and temperature profiles. The study shows that every method gives other results of the same parameter that should define the flow distribution in the heat exchanger in the same way. Hence, the ambiguities of fluid distribution conclusions in heat exchangers that can be found in the literature may be caused by a different interpretation of the flow maldistribution coefficient. A normalized flow maldistribution coefficient that gives the same results for all thermohydraulic parameters used has been proposed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:18:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c16d34c464604727a5f3c80d965ac36a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:18:12Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-c16d34c464604727a5f3c80d965ac36a2023-07-23T11:14:02ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-07-0113111910.1038/s41598-023-38784-5Comparison of various flow maldistribution quantification methods in mini heat exchangersPaweł Dąbrowski0Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology, Institute of Energy, Gdańsk University of TechnologyAbstract The aim of study is to compare various flow maldistribution quantification methods, using velocity, mass flow rate, pressure, and temperature. An experimentally validated numerical study has been prepared and a heat exchanger with 34 semi-circular channels with a diameter of 3.1 mm has been tested. The minichannels were heated from the bottom with a heat flux of 50, 60, 70, and 80 kW/m2. The cases for various inlet velocities of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 m/s have been tested. It results in a total of 16 cases with various heat flux and various inlet velocities of the water. Then, for every 16 cases, the flow maldistribution coefficients, widely used in the literature, have been calculated based on the velocity, pressure, and temperature profiles. The study shows that every method gives other results of the same parameter that should define the flow distribution in the heat exchanger in the same way. Hence, the ambiguities of fluid distribution conclusions in heat exchangers that can be found in the literature may be caused by a different interpretation of the flow maldistribution coefficient. A normalized flow maldistribution coefficient that gives the same results for all thermohydraulic parameters used has been proposed.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38784-5 |
| spellingShingle | Paweł Dąbrowski Comparison of various flow maldistribution quantification methods in mini heat exchangers Scientific Reports |
| title | Comparison of various flow maldistribution quantification methods in mini heat exchangers |
| title_full | Comparison of various flow maldistribution quantification methods in mini heat exchangers |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of various flow maldistribution quantification methods in mini heat exchangers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of various flow maldistribution quantification methods in mini heat exchangers |
| title_short | Comparison of various flow maldistribution quantification methods in mini heat exchangers |
| title_sort | comparison of various flow maldistribution quantification methods in mini heat exchangers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38784-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pawełdabrowski comparisonofvariousflowmaldistributionquantificationmethodsinminiheatexchangers |