Experimental investigation on thermo-hydraulic performance of triangular cross-corrugated flow passages

Heat exchangers made of corrugated flow passages generally have better thermo-hydraulic performance compared to parallel flow passages. The corrugation angle (beta), corrugation pattern, and the ratio of depth to pitch (h(ch)/P-ch) are critical geometrical parameters influencing the heat transfer and pressure drop in corrugated flow passages. This paper experimentally investigates heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of triangular-shaped cross-corrugated flow passages for the range of 25. < beta < 75. and 0.13 < h(ch)/P-ch < 0.36. Experiments are performed using representative compact heat exchangers in a small-scale test facility. This study also reports the effects of plate geometry on heat transfer and pressure drop and provides correlations for the average Nusselt number and friction factor. A detailed comparison of test data with relevant literature is also presented. Results of this study will be useful to manufactures and designers for developing high-performance heat exchangers.

Automated summary

This paper experimentally investigates the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of triangular-shaped cross-corrugated flow passages and provides correlations for the average Nusselt number and friction factor, which will be useful for manufactures and designers in developing high-performance heat exchangers.