A Parametric Investigation of Fin Geometries for Heat Transfer Enhancement in Internally Finned Tubes

The global demand for energy is expected to rise at unprecedented levels because of rapid urbanization and population bursts. Given the central role that heat exchangers play in energy and allied industries, it is crucial to have more efficient heat exchangers. The use of fins helps accomplish this goal. This study presents a parametric investigation assessing the thermal characteristics by the implementation of internal fins with varying values of fin height and pitch. For that purpose, numerical solutions are used and the combined thermo-hydraulic performance of different fin geometries is investigated with reference to a plain pipe flow to identify optimum design parameters. The results indicate that on decreasing the pitch and increasing the fin height, thermal conductance increases but the pressure loss also rises. The better internal fin design of the two is also indicated toward the end.