HEAT-TRANSFER CHARACTERIZATION OF FLAT PLAIN FINS AND ROUND TUBE HEAT-EXCHANGERS

The effects of outersurface geometry on the performance of flat plain fins and round tube crossflow heat exchangers are considered. With the finning parameter varying from 11 to 23, a total of 10 geometrically distinct configurations were tested over a Reynolds number range of 100-30,000. The tube outside diameter and collar thickness define the characteristic dimension. The convective heat transfer coefficients are presented as plots of the Colburn j factor versus Reynolds number and compare well with previous studies. The dispersion in the majority of the data is +/- 10%. The j factor, Reynolds number, and finning parameter are correlated.