Numerical Analysis of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Finned Tube Heat Exchanger Using System CFD (Flownex)

Finned tube heat exchanger is used in the area of heat transfer to conserve energy. The present study mainly involves heat transfer characteristics of finned tube heat exchanger. Finned tubes are used for the present study in order to increase the heat transfer characteristics of the heat exchanger. Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger design is carried out with the help of correlation between the Bell Delaware and Kern method. Bell Delaware method is accurate as compared to kern method. The numerical steady state analysis is carried out using system CFD (Flownex). Flownex is an integrated systems CFD code which is used for the design simulation and optimization of complete thermal-fluid systems. Flownexs solution is more accurate, fast and resembles that of a conventional CFD code. The present steady state numerical analysis involves the effects of pressure drop, Nusselt number, Reynolds number, friction factor and temperature rise on the rate of heat transfer at the tube side of finned tube heat exchanger. The numerical analysis also carried out with and without fins. The performance parameters of the heat exchanger also have been evaluated by using Flownex and have been compared with calculated values.