Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reconsideration of data and correlations for plate finned-tube heat exchangers

  • Original
  • Published:
Heat and Mass Transfer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper deals with heat exchangers having plain finned tubes in staggered (triangular) pattern. The objective of this paper is to provide the heat transfer and friction factor correlation which can be used in engineering practice. For this purpose, the experimental data of several (most cited) authors who deal with this type of heat exchangers are used. The new correlations are established to predict the air-side heat transfer coefficient and friction factor as a function of the Reynolds number and geometric variables of the heat exchanger – tube diameter, tube pitch, fin spacing, tube rows, etc. In those correlations the characteristic dimension in Reynolds number is calculated by using the new parameter – volumetric porosity. Also, there are given the errors of those correlations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

d c :

collar diameter, m

d h :

hydraulic diameter, m

f :

Fanning friction factor

H :

height of a heat exchanger channel, m

j H :

Colburn heat transfer factor

L :

length of the heat exchanger, m

\( \dot{m} \) :

fluid flow rate, kg/s

N l :

number of tube rows

Nu:

Nusselt number

Pr:

Prandtl number

Re:

Reynolds number based on hydraulic diameter

s f :

fin pitch, m

S HE :

air side heat exchange surface area (total outside surface area), m2

s l :

longitudinal tube pitch, m

s t :

transversal tube pitch, m

S uf :

unfined surface area (area of bare tubes between fins), m2

s V :

specific surface, m2/m3

\( \dot{V} \) :

fluid volume flow rate, m3/s

V f :

heat exchanger free volume, m3

V HE :

volume of heat exchanger chamber, m3

W :

width of a heat exchanger channel, m

w f :

air velocity at the front of the heat exchanger, m/s

w ε :

air velocity reduced to the porous cross-section of the exchanger, m/s

z :

number of experimental regimes (runs)

α :

heat transfer coefficient, W/(m2∙K)

∆p HE :

pressure drop, Pa

δ :

fin thickness, m

ε :

volumetric porosity, m3/m3

λ :

thermal conductivity, W/(m∙K)

μ :

dynamic viscosity, Pa∙s

ρ :

average fluid density, kg/m3

ξ :

Weisbach (Dracy) friction factor

PD:

pressure drop

HT:

heat transfer

References

  1. Kays WM, London AL (1973) Compact heat exchangers [*in German]. Akademie–Verlag, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  2. Rich DG (1973) The effect of fin spacing on the heat transfer and friction performance of multirow, smooth plate fin-and-tube heat exchangers. ASHRAE Trans 79(2):137–145

    Google Scholar 

  3. Rich DG (1975) The effect of the number of tube rows on heat transfer performance of smooth plate fin-and-tube heat exchangers. ASHRAE Trans 81(1):307–317

    Google Scholar 

  4. McQuiston FC, Tree DR (1971) Heat-transfer and flow-friction data for two fin-tube surfaces. J Heat Transf 93:249–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. McQuiston FC (1978) Heat, mass and momentum transfer data for five plate-fin-tube heat transfer surfaces. ASHRAE Trans 84(1):266–293

    Google Scholar 

  6. McQuiston FC (1978) Correlation of heat, mass and momentum transport coefficients for plate-fin-tube heat transfer surfaces with staggered tubes. ASHRAE Trans 84(1):294–309

    Google Scholar 

  7. Haliçi F, Taymaz I, Gunduz M (2001) The effect of the number of tube rows on heat, mass and momentum transfer in flat-plate finned tube heat exchangers. Energy 26:963–972

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Eckels PW, Rabas TJ (1987) Dehumidification: on the correlation of wet and dry transport processes in plate finned-tube heat exchangers. J Heat Transf 109:575–582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Tang LH, Min Z, Xie GN, Wang QW (2009) Fin pattern effects on air-side heat transfer and friction characteristics of fin-and-tube heat exchangers with large number of large-diameter tube rows. Heat Transfer Eng 30(3):171–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Liu YC, Chen IY, Hu R, Wang CC, Yang BC (2008) Sensible airside performance of fin-and-tube heat exchangers – data with larger diameter tube. ASHRAE Trans 114(1):379–386

    Google Scholar 

  11. Wang CC, Chi KY (2000) Heat transfer and friction characteristics of plain fin-and-tube heat exchangers, part I: new experimental data. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 43(15):2681–2691

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Jacimovic BM, Genic SB, Latinovic BR (2006) Research on air pressure drop in plate finned tube heat exchangers. Int J Refrig 29:1138–1143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kayansayan N (1993) Heat transfer characterization of flat plain fins and round tube heat exchangers. Exp Thermal Fluid Sci 6(3):263–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wen MY, Ho CY (2009) Heat-transfer enhancement in fin-and-tube heat exchanger with improved fin design. Appl Therm Eng 29(5–6):1050–1057

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Lelea D, Cioabla A (2010) The viscous dissipation effect on heat transfer and fluid flow in micro-tubes. Int Commun Heat Mass Transfer 37:1208–1214

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Kraljice Marije 16, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia

    Milena Otović, Srbislav Genić, Branislav Jaćimović & Uroš Milovančević

  2. Tehnikum Taurunum, Nade Dimić 4, Belgrade–Zemun, 11000, Serbia

    Miloš Mihailović & Saša Marković

Authors
  1. Milena Otović
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Miloš Mihailović
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Srbislav Genić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Branislav Jaćimović
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Uroš Milovančević
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Saša Marković
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Milena Otović.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendix

Appendix

The comparison of experimental (ym,i) and correlated (yc,i) parameter can be done by certain number of statistical parameters:

  • standard deviation

$$ SD=\sqrt{\frac{\sum \limits_{i=1}^z{\left(\frac{y_{mi,i}-{y}_{c,i}}{y_{m,i}}\right)}^2}{z}} $$

  • the mean relative error

$$ meanRE=\frac{1}{z}\cdot \sum \limits_{i=1}^z\frac{y_{m,i}-{y}_{c,i}}{y_{m,i}} $$

  • the maximal positive error

$$ {maxRE}^{+}=\max \left(\frac{y_{m,i}-{y}_{c,i}}{y_{m,i}}\right) $$

  • the maximal negative error

$$ {maxRE}^{-}=\max \left(\frac{y_{c,i}-{y}_{m,i}}{y_{m,i}}\right) $$

  • correlation ratio

$$ CR=\sqrt{1-\frac{\sum \limits_{i=1}^z{\left({y}_{m,i}-{y}_{c,i}\right)}^2}{\sum \limits_{i=1}^z{\left({y}_{m,i}-{y}_{m, av}\right)}^2}} $$

where ym,av is the average value of ym for complete set of z experimental data

\( {y}_{m, av}=\frac{\sum \limits_{i=1}^z{y}_{m,i}}{z} \)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Otović, M., Mihailović, M., Genić, S. et al. Reconsideration of data and correlations for plate finned-tube heat exchangers. Heat Mass Transfer 54, 2987–2994 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-018-2328-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-018-2328-0

Search

Navigation