Study on the Impact of Fin Diameter on Thermal and Hydraulic Behaviour of Annular Finned Tubes in Crossflow Using 3D CFD Simulations

This study deals with a 3D numerical analysis of annular finned tubes in crossflow. The impact of fin diameter on variables such as heat transfer coefficient, pressure drop and the heat transfer rate was considered in the Reynolds number range of 4630 ≤Re ≤ 9260. The rate of heat transmission has been seen to increase by nearly 19% and 29% when the fin diameter is enlarged at the highest and the lowest Reynolds number values, respectively. For a fin diameter of 34 mm, the heat transfer coefficient is augmented by nearly 61% with the Reynolds number. The pressure drop increases by nearly 9–12% for the highest and the lowest Reynolds number. To gain a deeper understanding of the fin’s thermal performance, the surface temperature distribution of the fin is obtained. A study of fin surface temperature distribution shows a sharp temperature gradient at the front section of a fin than its rear section. It was also found that the fin surface temperature distribution is influenced significantly by the fin diameter and Reynolds number.