Heat transfer characteristics of fin-tube heat exchanger with vortex generators

In the present work, vortex generators are fabricated on the fin surface of a fin-tube heat exchanger to augment the convective heat transfer. In addition to horseshoe vortices formed naturally around the tube of the fin-tube heat exchanger, longitudinal vortices are artificially created on the fin surface by vortex generators. The purpose of this study is to investigate the local heat transfer phenomena in the fin-tube heat exchangers with and without vortex generators, and to evaluate the effect of vortices on the heat transfer enhancement. Experiments were performed for the model of fin-circular tube heat exchangers with and without vortex generators, and of fin-flat tube heat exchangers with and without vortex generators. In addition, the prototype of heat exchangers with and without vortex generators used for Air Handling Unit were manufactured, performance tests were done, and results are compared each other. Average heat transfer coefficients of fin-flat tube heat exchanger without vortex generator were much lower than those of fin-circular tube heat exchanger. On the other hand, fin-flat tube heat exchanger with vortex generators was shown to have much higher heat transfer value than fin-circular tube heat exchanger.