Computational Fluid Dynamics Evaluation of Heat Transfer Correlations for Sodium Flows in a Heat Exchanger

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seok-Ki Choi ◽  
Seong-O Kim ◽  
Hoon-Ki Choi

A numerical study for the evaluation of heat transfer correlations for sodium flows in a heat exchanger of a fast breeder nuclear reactor is performed. Three different types of flows such as parallel flow, cross flow, and two inclined flows are considered. Calculations are performed for these three typical flows in a heat exchanger changing turbulence models. The tested turbulence models are the shear stress transport (SST) model and the SSG-Reynolds stress turbulence model by Speziale, Sarkar, and Gaski (1991, “Modelling the Pressure-Strain Correlation of Turbulence: An Invariant Dynamical System Approach,” J. Fluid Mech., 227, pp. 245–272). The computational model for parallel flow is a flow past tubes inside a circular cylinder and those for the cross flow and inclined flows are flows past the perpendicular and inclined tube banks enclosed by a rectangular duct. The computational results show that the SST model produces the most reliable results that can distinguish the best heat transfer correlation from other correlations for the three different flows. It was also shown that the SSG-RSTM high-Reynolds number turbulence model does not deal with the low-Prandtl number effect properly when the Peclet number is small. According to the present calculations for a parallel flow, all the old correlations do not match with the present numerical solutions and a new correlation is proposed. The correlations by Dwyer (1966, “Recent Developments in Liquid-Metal Heat Transfer,” At. Energy Rev., 4, pp. 3–92) for a cross flow and its modified correlation that takes into account of flow inclination for inclined flows work best and are accurate enough to be used for the design of the heat exchanger.

2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 994-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Bailey ◽  
J. Intile ◽  
T. F. Fric ◽  
A. K. Tolpadi ◽  
N. V. Nirmalan ◽  
...  

Experiments and numerical simulations were conducted to understand the heat transfer characteristics of a stationary gas turbine combustor liner cooled by impingement jets and cross flow between the liner and sleeve. Heat transfer was also aided by trip-strip turbulators on the outside of the liner and in the flowsleeve downstream of the jets. The study was aimed at enhancing heat transfer and prolonging the life of the combustor liner components. The combustor liner and flow sleeve were simulated using a flat-plate rig. The geometry has been scaled from actual combustion geometry except for the curvature. The jet Reynolds number and the mass-velocity ratios between the jet and cross flow in the rig were matched with the corresponding combustor conditions. A steady-state liquid crystal technique was used to measure spatially resolved heat transfer coefficients for the geometric and flow conditions mentioned above. The heat transfer was measured both in the impingement region as well as over the turbulators. A numerical model of the combustor test rig was created that included the impingement holes and the turbulators. Using CFD, the flow distribution within the flow sleeve and the heat transfer coefficients on the liner were both predicted. Calculations were made by varying the turbulence models, numerical schemes, and the geometrical mesh. The results obtained were compared to the experimental data and recommendations have been made with regard to the best modeling approach for such liner-flow sleeve configurations.


Author(s):  
Fifi N. M. Elwekeel ◽  
Qun Zheng ◽  
Antar M. M. Abdala

This study investigated heat transfer characteristics on various shaped ribs on the lower channel wall using steam and steam/mist as cooling fluid. The lower wall is subjected to a uniform heat flux condition while others walls are insulated. Calculations are carried out for ribs with square ribs (case A), triangular ribs (case B), trapezoidal ribs (case C) and (case D) cross sections over a range of Reynolds numbers (14000–35000), constant mist mass fraction (6%) and fixed rib height and pitch. To investigate turbulence model effects, computations based on a finite volume method, are carried out by utilizing three turbulence models: the standard k-ω, Omega Reynolds Stress (ωRS) and Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence models. The predicted results from using several turbulence models reveal that the SST turbulence model provide better agreement with available measurements than others. It is found that the heat transfer coefficients are enhanced in ribbed channels with injection of a small amount of mist. The steam/mist provides the higher heat transfer enhancement over steam when trapezoidal shaped ribs (38°, case C).


2013 ◽  
Vol 465-466 ◽  
pp. 603-607
Author(s):  
Greg G. Gomang ◽  
Ann Lee

This paper presents a two-dimensional numerical study on the interaction of synthetic jet and the cross flow inside a microchannel. Three different turbulence models namely the standard k-, Shear Stress Transport (SST) and Scale Adaptive Simulation Shear Stress Transport (SAS SST) were tested for their ability to predict the flow structure generated by a synthetic jet. The results are validated against existing experimental data. The SAS SST model was found to give the most realistic prediction of the fluid flow based on the good agreement with experimental data.


Author(s):  
Jeremy C. Bailey ◽  
John Intile ◽  
Thomas F. Fric ◽  
Anil K. Tolpadi ◽  
Nirm V. Nirmalan ◽  
...  

Experiments and numerical simulations were conducted to understand the heat transfer characteristics of a stationary gas turbine combustor liner cooled by impingement jets and cross flow between the liner and sleeve. Heat transfer was also aided by trip-strip turbulators on the outside of the liner and in the flowsleeve downstream of the jets. The study was aimed at enhancing heat transfer and prolonging the life of the combustor liner components. The combustor liner and flow sleeve were simulated using a flat plate rig. The geometry has been scaled from actual combustion geometry except for the curvature. The jet Reynolds number and the mass-velocity ratios between the jet and cross flow in the rig were matched with the corresponding combustor conditions. A steady state liquid crystal technique was used to measure spatially resolved heat transfer coefficients for the geometric and flow conditions mentioned above. The heat transfer was measured both in the impingement region as well as over the turbulators. A numerical model of the combustor test rig was created that included the impingement holes and the turbulators. Using CFD, the flow distribution within the flow sleeve and the heat transfer coefficients on the liner were both predicted. Calculations were made by varying the turbulence models, numerical schemes, and the geometrical mesh. The results obtained were compared to the experimental data and recommendations have been made with regard to the best modeling approach for such liner-flow sleeve configurations.


Author(s):  
Kin Wing Wong ◽  
Hui Cheng ◽  
Jiyun Zhao

With the advantages of the thermophysical property of supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2), SCO2 has been proposed for being used as the coolant of the secondary system in a nuclear reactor to promote a higher thermal efficiency. However, heat transfer deterioration (HTD) in supercritical fluid became a potential operational problem for the supercritical heat exchanger. Understanding of HTD is importance to heat exchanger tube design. In this paper, both circular and annular tube with the same sectional area is simulated using the ANSYS FLUENT 15.0 with Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model. In general, the SST model can accurately predict the position of HTD peak as found in the experiment but with a difference between the simulated and experimental value of the peak. Nevertheless, the SST model is still regarded as the turbulence model in modeling supercritical carbon dioxide heat transfer in ANSYS FLUENT. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation was performed for SCO2 on 8.42 MPa with an inlet temperature of 312.15K under heat flux value of 110 kW/m2 to illustrate the effect of heat transfer deterioration in the circular and annular tube. Second, the effect of turbulence augmentation to wall temperature are investigated by placing the semi-circular obstacles at the heated wall of the circular tube. The result showed that the addition of Vortex Generator (VG) could lessen the HTD effect and followed by the smoothing effect of the wall temperature along the downstream of the tube.


Author(s):  
Rawad Deeb ◽  
◽  

Tube bundles can be used as a separation heat exchanger in the organic Rankine cycle power plants (ORC), while the hot gas passes over the outer surface, and the working substance ORC flows inside the tubes. A numerical study has been conducted to clarify heat transfer and hydrodynamics of a cross-flow heat exchanger with staggered drop-shaped tubes at different flow angles of attack in comparison with circular tubes of the same equivalent diameter. The study was performed for the Reynolds number Re= 1.8  103 ~ 9.4  103, the longitudinal and transverse spacing of the tubes in the bundle are the same and are equal to 37 mm. Four cases of the tube’s arrangement with different angles of attack were investigated: 0, 45, 135, and 180 angles. The article presents a literature review related to the subject of the study. A mathematical and numerical model has been developed to calculate the heat transfer coefficient of the studied staggered drop-shaped tubes bundle using the ANSYS package, taking into account the stress-strain state of the tubes. Correlations of the average Nusselt numbers and the friction coefficient for the considered bundles in terms of the Reynolds number and angle of attack were presented. The results reveal that the thermal–hydraulic performance of the drop-shaped tubes bundle with zero-angle of attack is about 1.6 ~ 1.7 times greater than the circular one.


Author(s):  
M. Kadja ◽  
R. Mebrouk

A numerical study was achieved on a realistic fin-and-tube heat exchanger in order to investigate its heat transfer and friction characteristics. The computations assume a steady-state heat transfer and fluid flow. Nusselt number and friction factor characteristics of the heat exchanger are determined for various values of Reynolds numbers. Conjugate convection-conduction energy conservation equations in 3 dimensions have been solved along with mass and momentum conservation equations in order to determine these characteristics. Both laminar and turbulent flow regimes are considered. The effect of turbulence modeling was investigated using three different models (the one equation Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model, the standard k-ε model and the RSM model). The computations allowed the determination of the dynamic and thermal fields. Model validation was carried out by comparing the calculated friction factor f and Colburn j-factor to experimental results found in the literature. The plotted results showed a qualitatively good agreement between numerical results and experimental data. The results obtained also showed that the simplest of the three turbulence models tested (i.e. Spalart-Allmaras) gives the closest values to the experimental data.


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