Forced convection heat transfer and pressure drop for a horizontal cylinder with vertically attached imperforate and perforated circular fins

Abstract

In this study, the effect of holes placed on perforated finned heat exchangers on convective heat transfer experimentally investigated. Six millimeter-diameter holes were opened on each circular fin on a heating tube in order to increase convective heat transfer. These holes were placed on the circular fins in such a way as to follow each other at the same chosen angle. The holes created turbulence in a region near the heating tube surface on the bottom of the fin. Some experiments were then performed to analyze the effect of this turbulence on heat transfer and pressure drop. These experiments were carried out at six different angular locations in order to determine the best angular location. In addition, a perforated finned heater was compared with an imperforate finned heater to observe the differences. In the cases of the Re above the critical value, Nusselt numbers for the perforated finned positions are 12% higher than the Nusselt numbers for the imperforate state. Moreover, a correlation has been obtained between the Re and Nu in the Re number above the critical value and the Re below the critical value. Meanwhile, correlations regarding pressure drops in the flow areas have been obtained. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.