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Abstract z coordinate
effectiveness
Heat transfer characteristics of parallel-, counter-, and cross-flow f thermal conductivity of the working fluid
microchannel heat exchangers are investigated numerically. The kinematic viscosity
heat exchangers are modeled as a three-dimensional conjugate density
heat transfer problem. The working fluid is air and substrate of
the heat exchangers is stainless steel. The fluid flow is assumed Introduction
to be steady and incompressible. The governing equations are
discretized by the finite volume method and SIMPLE algorithm Microscale devices have been developed in recent decades since
is used to calculate the velocity field. The numerical results show Tuckerman and Pease [1] manufactured a heat transfer equipment
that heat conduction in the partition wall affects heat transfer which consists of microchannels. A microchannel heat exchanger
phenomena of the microchannel heat exchangers. The relations of is one of the microscale devices. Research and development of a
effectiveness-NTU are compared among the heat exchangers. microchannel heat exchanger is greatly expected in various
Heat conduction in the partition wall deteriorates effectiveness of engineering fields such as mechanical, chemical, aerospace,
the microchannel heat exchangers. Especially, effectiveness of cryogenics, etc.
the counter-flow microchannel heat exchanger is more likely to Bier et al. [2] have manufactured a cross-flow microchannel heat
be affected by heat conduction in the partition wall. Conventional exchanger by precision cutting. They tested the heat exchanger
effectiveness-NTU method yields a negative or infinite heat with water as a working fluid. Friedrich and Kang [3] have
transfer coefficient on the cross-flow microchannel heat fabricated a micro cross-flow heat exchanger with trapezoidal-
exchanger under a certain condition. The authors conclude that shaped channels. Alm et al. [4] have manufactured ceramic
conventional effectiveness-NTU relationship cannot be employed counter-flow and cross-flow microchannel heat exchangers. The
for microchannel heat exchangers due to heat conduction in the experimental results were compared with estimated ones by
partition wall. A new effectiveness-NTU relationship is required standard heat exchanger correlations and numerical simulations
for microchannel heat exchangers. using a porous body approach. Bier et al. [5] have tested cross-
flow microchannel heat exchangers using nitrogen, helium, and
Nomenclature argon gases. To estimate overall heat transfer coefficient, they
proposed a homogeneous model used in a packed bed. Miwa et al.
a thermal diffusivity [6] have conducted numerical computations on gas-to-gas
A heat transfer area parallel- and counter-flow microchannel heat exchangers with
Ac cross sectional area of the channel no-thickness partition wall. They discussed effects of
cp specific heat at constant pressure compressibility of gaseous flow. Hasan et al. [7] have carried out
Dh hydraulic diameter numerical simulation to evaluate the effect of size and shape of
f friction factor the channels on performance of a counter-flow microchannel heat
h channel height exchanger. They found that circular channels gave the best
L channel length thermal and hydraulic performance among various channel
m& mass flow rate shapes. Kang et al. [8] have developed a theoretical model to
NTU number of transfer units predict thermal and fluidic characteristics of a micro cross-flow
Nu Nusselt number heat exchanger. They showed that the average temperature of the
p pressure hot and cold side flow significantly affects the heat transfer rate
qw heat flux on the partition wall surface and the pressure drop at the same effectiveness. Kee et al., [9]
Rc capacity ratio have manufactured and evaluated ceramic compact counter-flow
Re Reynolds number microchannel heat exchanger. They achieved the tests of the heat
t partition wall thickness exchanger using inlet airflow up to 750 C.
T temperature
Tb bulk temperature Most microchannel heat exchanger consists of stack of a sheet-
difference between bulk temperature and partition wall like heat transfer plate. The heat transfer plate, or partition wall,
Tbw of a microchannel heat exchanger is thick compared with a
temperature
Tw partition wall temperature channel dimensions since the channel is narrowed. Thermal
Tw averaged temperature of the duct energy is exchanged via heat conduction in the partition wall.
Heat conduction in the partition wall on a conventional-sized heat
u velocity component in x-direction exchanger is neglected because the wall is thin. In contrast, heat
U overall heat transfer coefficient conduction in the partition wall should not be neglected on a
v velocity component in y-direction microchannel heat exchanger since the wall is thick.
w velocity component in z-direction
W channel width Earlier works have revealed that heat conduction in a partition
x coordinate wall affects thermal performance of a heat exchanger. Gupta et al.
y coordinate [10] have conducted numerical calculations of counter-flow
microchannel heat exchangers considering the effect of heat leak is an order of 10-4 (dimensions of the microchannel heat
and longitudinal conduction. Al-Bakhit et al. [11] have conducted exchangers are presented in Table 1). This value assures that the
numerical calculations of a parallel-flow heat exchanger. They fluid flow in the heat exchangers can be treated as continuum.
pointed out that three-dimensional simulation is required for Constant thermophysical properties are assumed since change of
microchannel heat exchangers because thin wall approximation is the properties depending on temperature variation is small in the
not satisfied. Stief et al. [12] have conducted simulations to temperature range of this study. Heat generation or absorption
determine optimal thermal conductivity of a micro heat does not exist in the heat exchanger. Gravitational force, or
exchanger. Peterson [13] has examined a micro counter-flow heat buoyancy, is neglected since forced convection dominates the
exchanger which includes axial heat conduction. He suggested transport phenomena. Based on the assumptions governing
using very low thermal conductive material for micro counter- equations, mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations
flow heat exchangers. for the fluid flow, and heat conduction equation for the partition
wall, are as follows:
A microchannel heat exchanger is classified into parallel-,
counter-, and cross-flow one with respect to direction of working
fluid. Thermal performance differs among the three modes of u v w
+ + =0 (1)
heat exchangers. Especially, for a microchannel heat exchanger, x y z
effect of heat conduction in a partition wall on thermal
performance will depend on the types of heat exchangers since a
partition wall is thick. An investigation of an effect of heat (uu ) (uv ) (uw) 1 p 2u 2u 2u
conduction in a partition wall of microchannel heat exchangers is + + = + 2 + 2 + 2
x y z x x y z
required for its development and adequate utilization. The
objective of this study is to investigate effect of heat conduction (2)
in a partition wall of parallel-, counter-, and cross-flow
microchannel heat exchangers.
(uv ) (vv ) (vw) 1 p 2v 2v 2v
+ + = + 2 + 2 + 2
x y z y x y z
Numerical Analysis
Analytical Model (3)
600
The value of Nu decreases rapidly in the developing region. Then fReH
Nu takes a constant value since the flow is fully developed. The fReC
solid line in Figure 2(b) shows Nusselt number obtained by Shah Shah and
London(6)
400
and London [15] for fully developed flow in a square duct. The
fully developed Nusselt number obtained by the numerical
fRe
150 20
Numerical Numerical
Shah and
London [15]
15
Shah and
London [15] (a) Parallel-flow. (b) Counter-flow.
100
fRe
10
Nu
50
5
300 310 320 330 340 350
Temperature [K]
0 0
0 100 200 300 400 500 0 100 200 300 400 500
y (mm) y (mm)
350 350 20 20
Tb,H Tb,H NuH NuH
Tb,C Tb,C NuC NuC
340 340 NuH1
15 NuH1 15
NuT NuT
330 330
Tb (K)
Tb (K)
10 10
Nu
Nu
320 320
5 5
310 310
300 300 0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
y (mm) y (mm) y (mm) y (mm)
10
Nu
320
5
310
300 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
y (mm) y (mm)
(c) Cross-flow. (c) Cross-flow.
Figure 5. Variation of the bulk temperature of the microchannel Figure 6. Variation of Nusselt number of the microchannel
heat exchangers. heat exchangers.
1 exp[ NTU (1 Rc )] increases even though mass flow rate is doubled (the value of
= (15) heat transfer coefficient is not presented here). Consequently
1 Rc exp[ NTU (1 Rc )] NTU decreases as mass flow rate increases.
1
Increase in heat transfer coefficient enhances heat transfer
1 Rc 1 between the channels and partition wall. This means that heat
= + (16) conduction in the partition wall significantly affects heat transfer
1 exp( NTU ) 1 exp( RcNTU ) NTU process of the microchannel heat exchanger for small NTU.
Therefore sim/th decreases as NTU decreases as shown Figure 8.
where Rc is capacity ratio defined as:
The value of sim/th of the counter-flow mode is less than that of
(m& c p )min the parallel-flow one. This means that the counter-flow
Rc =
(m& c p )max (17) microchannel heat exchanger is strongly subjected to the effect of
heat conduction in the partition wall. On the parallel-flow mode
the inlets of fluid flow are located at the same end. The partition
This study results in Rc = 1 since balanced heat exchangers are wall temperature near the exit of passages approaches average
investigated. Before discussion, note that effectiveness-NTU of temperature of inlets as shown in Figure 4(a). Therefore
the cross-flow microchannel heat exchanger is separately temperature gradient along the fluid flow direction is small. In
discussed from those of parallel- and counter-flow modes. contrast, on the counter-flow mode the inlets of fluid flow are
located at the opposite end. This configuration increases
Figure 7 shows effectiveness-NTU relation of the parallel- and
temperature gradient between both ends compared to that of
counter-flow microchannel heat exchangers. The solid line in the
parallel-flow mode as shown in Figure 4. The effectiveness of the
figure is -NTU obtained by equation (14, 15). The effectiveness
counter-flow microchannel heat exchanger is more likely to be
calculated is somewhat smaller than that based on equation (14,
affected by heat conduction in the partition wall.
15). This discrepancy expresses the effect of heat conduction in
the partition wall because equation (14, 15) neglects a partition In some cases of the cross-flow microchannel heat exchanger,
wall whereas the numerical calculation includes the wall. negative NTU has been obtained. The heat transfer coefficient is
calculated based on the equations as follows: For the hot passage
The ratio of sim to th is presented to clarify the discrepancy in
Figure 7. Figure 8 shows the sim/th of two heat exchangers as a
function of NTU, where sim is an effectiveness obtained by the
numerical calculation and th is that obtained by equation (14, 15).
350
Note that sim includes the effect of partition wall whereas that of Tb,H
th neglects the wall. This means that sim/th shows inconsistency Tw,C
0.6 0.6
0.6 0.6
0.2 0.2 Numerical
0.4 0.4
z (mm)
z (mm)
Eq. (16)
0.2 0.2
0.0 0.0
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4 0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
NTU NTU x (mm) x (mm)
(a) Parallel-flow. (b) Counter-flow.
(a) y = 0 mm. (b) y = 4 mm.
Figure 7. Effectiveness-NTU of the microchannel heat
exchangers. 0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4
z (mm)
z (mm)
0.2 0.2
1.05
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
x (mm) x (mm)
1.00
(c) y = 8 mm. (d) y = 12 mm.
0.95
sim/th
0.6 0.6
0.90 0.4 0.4
z (mm)
z (mm)
0.2 0.2
Parallel-flow
0.85
Counter-flow 0
0 5 10 15 20
0
0 5 10 15 20
x (mm) x (mm)
0.80
0 1 2 3 4 (e) y = 16 mm. (f) y = 20 mm.
NTU
Figure 10. Cross-sectional temperature contour of the cross-
Figure 8. Effectiveness degradation as a function of NTU.
flow microchannel heat exchanger.
hH = qw, H (Tb, H Tw, H ) (18) [2] Bier, W., Keller, W., Linder, G., Seidel, D., and Schubert, K.,
Manufacturing and Testing of Compact Micro Heat
for the cold passage Exchangers with High Volumetric Heat Transfer
Coefficients, ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division
hC = qw,C (Tw,C Tb,C ) (19)
(Publication) DSC, 19, 1990, 189-197.
[3] Friedrich, C. R. and Kang, S. D., Micro heat exchangers
Figure 9 shows the variation of bulk temperature and the local fabricated by diamond machining, Precision Engineering,
temperature of the partition wall along the hot passage at x = 18 16, 1, 1994, 56-59.
mm, which are used for calculation of heat transfer coefficient of
the hot passage. The bulk temperature and local partition wall [4] Alm, B., Imke, U., Knitter, R., Schygulla, U., and
temperature are crossing. This result gives not only negative heat Zimmermann, S., Testing and simulation of ceramic micro
transfer coefficient but also infinite one. heat exchangers, Chemical Engineering Journal, 135S, 2008,
S179-S184.
Figure 10 shows cross-sectional temperature contours at y = 0, 4,
8, 12, 16, and 20 mm of the cross-flow mode. The area from z = 0 [5] Bier, W., Keller, W., Linder, G., Seidel, D., Schubert, K.,
to 0.2 mm is the cold passage, from z = 0.2 to 0.4 mm is the and Martin, H., Gas to gas heat transfer in micro heat
partition wall, and from z = 0.4 to 0.6 mm is the hot passage, exchangers, Chemical Engineering and Processing, 32, 1993,
respectively. The hot working fluid flows in perpendicular to the 33-43.
figures while the cold working fluid flows from left to right. [6] Miwa, J., Asako, Y., Hong, C., and Faghri, M., Performance
The negative or infinite heat transfer coefficient appears near the of Gas-to-Gas Micro-Heat Exchangers, Journal of Heat
corner of x = 20 mm and y = 20 mm in the hot passage. The bulk Transfer, 131, 5, 2009, 051801-1-0.1801-9.
temperature is calculated by using temperature at any cross [7] Hasan, M. I., Rageb, A. A., Yaghoubi, M., and Homayoni,
section of the passage. The left end of the hot passage is H., Influence of channel geometry on the performance of a
remarkably cooled down because the left end is adjacent to the counter flow microchannel heat exchanger, International
inlet of the cold working fluid. The temperature distribution of Journal of Thermal Sciences, 48, 8, 2009, 1607-1618.
the hot passage as shown in Figure 10 unexpectedly decreases the
bulk temperature. Locally-distributed low temperature region in [8] Kang, S. W., and Tseng, S. C., Analysis of effectiveness and
the passage delivers the temperature crossing and therefor pressure drop in micro cross-flow heat exchanger, Applied
negative or infinite heat transfer coefficient is obtained. This Thermal Engineering, 27, 5-6, 2007, 877-885.
phenomenon is attributed to configuration of the cross-flow
[9] Kee, R. J. et al., The design, fabrication, and evaluation of a
microchannel heat exchanger. This result implies that a new
ceramic counter-flow microchannel heat exchanger, Applied
method to calculate heat transfer coefficient and NTU of a cross-
Thermal Engineering, 31, 11-12, 2011, 2004-2012.
flow microchannel heat exchanger is required.
[10] Gupta, P. and Atrey, M. D., Performance evaluation of
Conclusions counter flow heat exchangers considering the effect of heat
in leak and longitudinal conduction for low-temperature
Heat transfer characteristics of parallel-, counter-, and cross-flow applications, Cryogenics, 40, 2000, 469-474.
microchannel heat exchangers have been investigated
numerically. The heat exchangers are modeled as three- [11] Al-Bakhit, H. and Fakheri, A., Numerical simulation of heat
dimensional conjugate heat transfer problem including thick transfer in simultaneously developing flows in parallel
partition wall which separates the fluid flow passages. Numerical rectangular ducts, Applied Thermal Engineering, 26, 2006,
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[12] Stief. T., Langer, O-U., and Schubert, K., Numerical
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[13] Peterson, R. B., Numerical Modeling of Conduction Effects
effectiveness of the microchannel heat exchangers, especially the
in Microscale Counterflow Heat Exchangers, Microscale
counter-flow microchannel heat exchanger rather than parallel-
Thermophysical Engineering, 3, 1, 1999, 17-30.
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