Three-dimensional computer simulation of shell and tube heat exchangers
- Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
A three dimensional, conservative, fully implicit, colocated control volume based calculation procedure is described for the simulation of shell side flow in shell and tube heat exchangers. The colocated method uses momentum interpolation to avoid an oscillatory pressure field, and incorporates a flexible boundary condition interface that permits the specification of a wide range of problems. The simulation of shell and tube heat exchangers is based on a distributed resistance method and employs a two-equation {kappa}-{epsilon} turbulence model. Volume porosities and non homogeneous surface permeabilities account for the obstructions due to the tubes and arbitrary arrangement of baffles. Geometry generators for tubes, baffles and inlets have been created. Non-equilibrium wall functions (Launder and Spalding, 1974) are used to compute momentum and heat transfer coefficients close to plane surface walls. Various test problems presented include the driven cavity, a laminar backward facing step with heat transfer, a turbulent backward facing step with heat transfer, and turbulent sudden pipe expansion. Good agreement is obtained between the computations and experiments and the computations of other researchers. A No Tubes In Window (NTIW) heat exchanger simulation is compared with experimental data. This work forms a basis for studying the significance of geometry on the mixing and heat transfer process in shell and tube heat exchangers.
- OSTI ID:
- 455404
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-951135--; ISBN 0-7918-1752-0
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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