Numerical Analysis on Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Performance of an Asymmetric Finned Tube Heat Exchanger

A three-dimensional model of asymmetric finned tube heat exchanger was established on the basis of COMSOL software, so as to implement numerical study on the flow and heat transfer performance on the air side, then compare it with plain finned tube heat exchanger, and finally to further analyze the effects of inclined angle on the performance of the asymmetric finned tube heat exchanger under different Reynolds numbers. Results show that, compared with plain finned tube heat exchanger, the heat transfer factor of asymmetric heat exchanger is 13.95% higher on average when the Reynolds number varies in 3 239-9 700. The larger the Reynolds number is, the lower the friction factor would be, with an average reduction of 4.80%, and the reducing trend enhances under high Reynolds numbers. Taking M_JF as the evaluation criteria and keeping other structural parameters unchanged, the M_JF reaches the maximum at β=30°, when optimum comprehensive performance of the heat exchanger is obtained.