Enhancement of turbulent thermal convection in a circular tube with a slotted twisted tape

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) work, is to promote turbulent thermal convection in a heated circular tube using a passive scheme of a slotted twisted sheet. Design/methodology/approach The inventive design uses square-cut and conjugate triangular perforations to diversify the twisted tape for better thermal convection. The current novel passive scheme methodology is accomplished by carving the same square cuts and slitting various sizes of equilateral triangle perforations (side length varies between 8 and 16 mm). The re-normalisation group turbulence model and the semi-implicit method for pressure-linked equation method examine the turbulent thermal convection aspects of all simulations at different Reynolds numbers (6,000, 10,000 and 14,000). Findings The analyses of simulations exhibit that the placement of a twisted tape with triangle perforations and equidistant square cuts can effectually promote thermal convection in a circular tube. A larger-sized triangle perforation can increase the thermal convection enhancement and thermal performance factor, but an enlarged perforation may decrease the thermal convection enhancement and thermal performance factor. As a result, compared with the smooth circular tube, the circular tube with the slotted twisted sheet slit by a 10 mm equilateral triangle brings about the maximum improvement ratio of the mean Nusselt number of about 2.8 at Re = 6,000. Under weighing the friction through the circular tube, the tube with the slotted twisted sheet slit by a 10 mm equilateral triangle gains the best thermal performance factor of about 1.36 at Re = 6,000. Research limitations/implications The working fluid is water and its physical features are assumed to be constant. In addition, the fluid is considered a steady flow in this CFD work. Practical implications These CFD predictions will benefit the development of heat exchanger tubes equipped with a slotted twisted sheet to acquire preferable thermal convection enhancement. Social implications Higher thermal performance achieved by placing a slotted twisted tape in a heated tube will benefit society in lower energy consumption, machinery maintenance costs and impact on the environment. Originality/value This study combined triangle perforations and square cuts on the twisted sheet. This combination can induce the fluid flow across the sheet to disturb the swirling flow and then promote the fluid mixing to increase thermal convection. Therefore, this modified tape can be a profitable passive device for designing a heat exchanger.