Effect of droplet characteristics on heat transfer of mist/air cooling in a pin-finned channel

Effects of droplet characteristics of mist/air cooling on heat transfer for three pin-fin structures are investigated. The round-tip pin-fin structure is newly proposed with partial detachment from one endwall with a round-shaped tip structure. A flat-tip pin-fin with partial detachment and a traditional pin-fin with full attachment serve as references. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations and the shear-stress-transport turbulence model are applied. Influences of initial mist temperature, initial mist diameter and initial mist velocity are analyzed in the Reynolds number range 15,000 to 50,000. The round-tip pin-finned channel has highest heat transfer coefficient and lowest pressure loss among the structures. Heat transfer enhancement increases first gradually and then decreases sharply with increasing initial mist diameter but an optimal diameter exists for the highest Nusselt numbers. Nusselt number decreases monotonically with increasing initial mist temperature. Droplet movement and heat transfer are nearly independent of initial mist velocity.