Numerical CFD Study of Heat Transfer Efficiency in a Counter-Flow Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger

Authors: Shani Singh, Satnam Singh

Country: India

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Abstract: This study presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of a double-pipe heat exchanger (DPHE) to evaluate the influence of flow configuration on thermal performance. Using ANSYS Fluent, simulations were carried out for both parallel-flow and counter-flow arrangements with water as the working fluid, where the hot and cold streams entered at 355 K and 298 K, respectively, at a uniform velocity of 1.9 m/s. The model was analyzed using the k–ε turbulence model, providing detailed visualization of temperature and velocity distributions within the exchanger. Results showed that the counter-flow configuration exhibited superior performance, with the hot fluid cooling from 355 K to 327.77 K and the cold fluid heating to 324.11 K, compared to 337.06 K and 321.25 K in the parallel-flow case. These findings indicate that counter-flow operation maintains a more favourable temperature gradient along the exchanger, leading to greater thermal effectiveness and improved heat recovery. Overall, the study demonstrates that CFD is a reliable and precise tool for analyzing and optimizing heat exchanger design, providing valuable insights for enhancing energy efficiency in industrial thermal systems.

Keywords: Computational Fluid Dynamics, Double-Pipe, Heat Exchanger, Parallel-Flow, Counter-Flow, Temperature Gradient and Turbulence Model

Paper Id: 232932

Published On: 2022-03-05

Published In: Volume 10, Issue 2, March-April 2022

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