Effect of strip location on the air-side pressure drop and heat transfer in strip fin-and-tube heat exchanger

Abstract

This work discusses about the pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of a plain fin, a strip fin and combinations thereof in the fin-and-tube heat exchanger. Experimental apparatus and test algorithm using scale-up model fin geometry are discussed. The present work uses the electric heaters inside of the tube as the heating source to simulate the hot water loop in the wind tunnel test. The test results of the plain and strip fins are compared with the existing correlation and experimental data. It was found that a hybrid fin, plain fin at front row and strip fin at rear row, was more effective to enhance the heat transfer than that of the whole strip fin at the same fan power. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.