A COMPREHENSIVE CHARACTERISTICS ANALYSIS OF FLUCTUATING CAM-SHAPED FIN AND TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMIC

Original Manuscript Draft A 3D computational fluid dynamic analysis of the oscillation of tube banks in a fin and tube heat exchanger is analyzed comprehensively to examine the effect of tube fluctuation on the heat exchanger's efficiency. Thus, the hydro-thermal efficiency of the cam-shaped fluctuating tube bank with two different oscillation amplitudes (10 degrees, 20 degrees) is investigated for the Re number of 13,000. As a complementary analysis, exergy analysis is performed, which can assist in further comprehension of heat transfer. The effect of the oscillating tube on the main performance criteria including drag coefficient, mean Nu number, average friction factor, exergy loss, and two parameters of Nu(avg)/f and J/f are evaluated. Based on the obtained results, the fluctuation of the tube with an amplitude of 10 degrees leads to the highest efficiency factors compared to non-oscillating tubes and tubes with the alpha(m) = 20 degrees. The possible improvement can result from the lower relative pressure drop and higher relative heat transfer improvement. The fluctuating arrangement has a noticeable impact on the outcome of both thermal and hydrodynamic performances of the tube banks. However, the higher turbu-lence generation rate can lead to a more improved heat transfer coefficient, but the combined effect of the tube geometry and fluctuation would decide the overall performance.