Numerical studies on heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of flat finned tube bundles with various fin materials

2017 International Conference on New Energy and Future Energy System

Peng, Y.^1 ; Zhang, S.J.^1 ; Shen, F.^1 ; Wang, X.B.^2 ; Yang, X.R.^2 ; Yang, L.J.^2

State Power Investment Central Research Institute, South Zone of the Future Science and Technology Park, Beijing, China^1

Key Laboratory of Condition Monitoring and Control for Power Plant Equipment, Ministry of Education, School of Energy Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, No. 2 Beinong Road, Changping District, Beijing, China^2

关键词: 316 L stainless steel;    Air-cooled heat exchanger;    Convective heat transfer Coefficient;    Heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics;    Heat transfer characteristics;    Heat transfer performance;    Thermal power plants;    Transverse tube pitch;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/93/1/012067/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1755-1315/93/1/012067

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

The air-cooled heat exchanger plays an important role in the field of industry like for example in thermal power plants. On the other hand, it can be used to remove core decay heat out of containment passively in case of a severe accident circumstance. Thus, research on the performance of fins in air-cooled heat exchangers can benefit the optimal design and operation of cooling systems in nuclear power plants. In this study, a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic) method is implemented to investigate the effects of inlet velocity, fin spacing and tube pitch on the flow and the heat transfer characteristics of flat fins constructed of various materials (316L stainless steel, copper-nickel alloy and aluminium). A three dimensional geometric model of flat finned tube bundles with fixed longitudinal tube pitch and transverse tube pitch is established. Results for the variation of the average convective heat transfer coefficient with respect to cooling air inlet velocity, fin spacing, tube pitch and fin material are obtained, as well as for the pressure drop of the cooling air passing through finned tube. It is shown that the increase of cooling air inlet velocity results in enhanced average convective heat transfer coefficient and decreasing pressure drop. Both fin spacing and tube pitch engender positive effects on pressure drop and have negative effects on heat transfer characteristics. Concerning the fin material, the heat transfer performance of copper-nickel alloy is superior to 316L stainless steel and inferior to aluminium.