CFD Analysis for the Flow Phenomena of the Narrow Channels in Plate Heat Exchanger for Intercooler

Plate heat exchangers (PHE) have been widely used in different industrial applications, because of high heat transfer efficiency per unit volume. Basic study is performed for PHE to the application of intercooler in automobile. In order to understand the flow phenomena in the plate heat exchanger, a channel which was formed by the upper and lower plate in single plate was considered as calculation domains. Because chevrons attached on the upper plate are brazed with chevrons attached on the lower plate, the flow channel has very complex configuration. This complex geometry was analyzed by Fluent. In order to validate this methodology the proper experimental and theoretical data are collected and compared with numerical results. Finally, due to the lack of experimental values for PHE to the application of intercooler, various chevron angles and air velocities at inlet were tested in terms of physical phenomena. From this point of view, results of velocity vector, path lines, static pressure, heat flux, heat transfer coefficient, and Nusselt number are physically reasonable and accepted for the solutions. From these results, the correlations for pressure drop and Nusselt number with respect to chevron angle and Reynolds number in specific PHE are obtained for the design purpose. Thus, the methodology of the flow analysis in the full geometry of the channel was established for the predictions of performance in plate heat exchanger.

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