HEAT-TRANSFER BY PLATE SPACERS IN PLATE-FIN HEAT-EXCHANGERS

This paper is concerned with heat transfer by plate spacers in plate-fin heat exchangers. The spacers are considered as fins attached to the plates and are exposed to certain boundary conditions. The thermal resistances at the contact surfaces between the plates and the fins are assumed to be different from one another. Based on this model, equations for heat fluxes at contact surfaces are derived. Calculations from these equations reveal a considerable influence of the thermal resistances at the contact surfaces on the heat transfer.