Enhanced Heat Transfer Characteristics of Viscous Liquid Flows in a Chevron Plate Heat Exchanger

TLDR

The study examined vegetable oil (Pr 130–290) flowing at Re 2–400 through a single‑pass U‑type counterflow plate heat exchanger with three chevron plate arrangements—symmetric β = 30°/30°, β = 60°/60°, and mixed β = 30°/60°—and investigated how chevron angle β, corrugation aspect ratio γ, and flow conditions affect Nusselt number and friction factor. Results show that chevron plates enhance thermal‑hydraulic performance, delivering up to 2.9 times higher heat transfer rates than flat‑plate packs at the same geometry and pumping power, while reducing required surface area by up to 48 % for a fixed heat load and pressure drop.

Abstract

Steady-state heat transfer and pressure drop data for single-phase viscous fluid flows (2 ≤ Re ≤ 400) in a single-pass U-type counterflow plate heat exchanger (PHE) with chevron plates are presented. With vegetable oil as test fluid (130 < Pr < 290), three different plate arrangements are employed: two symmetric (β = 30 deg/30 deg and 60 deg/60 deg) and one mixed (β = 30 deg/60 deg). The effects of chevron angle β, corrugation aspect ratio γ, and flow conditions (Re, Pr, μ/μw on Nu and f characteristics of the PHE are delineated. The results show a rather complex influence of plate surface corrugations on the enhanced thermal-hydraulic behavior. Relative to the performance of equivalent flat-plate packs, chevron plates sustain up to 2.9 times higher heat transfer rates on a fixed geometry and constant pumping power basis, and require up to 48 percent less surface area for the fixed heat load and pressure drop constraint.