CFD Simulation of Corrugated Plate Heat Exchangers: Single phase and Boiling Flows

Abstract

Corrugated plate heat exchangers are characterized by enhanced hydraulic and thermal performance due to highly turbulent flow generated by the complex geometry and the large compacted heat transfer area. In part 1 of the present work, CFD simulations are performed to study the single-phase flow inside a full corrugated channel. The thermal and hydraulic characteristics as well as the low and high Reynolds turbulence modeling were analyzed and discussed. In part 2, the two-phase subcooled and saturated boiling flow heat transfer and pressure drop for water were simulated at low mass flux and vapor quality. The Semi Mechanistic Wall boiling model based on Chen’s method is used. The results show that the two-phase heat transfer coefficient increased with the increasing mass flux and degree of subcooling and it decreased with increasing the wall temperatures. Whereas the pressure drop increased with the increasing mass flux, wall temperature, and vapor quality. The dominant boiling mechanism is found to be nucleate boiling. Lastly, the flow dynamic and vapor formation were processed and analyzed.