Flow Characteristics and Heat Transfer Performances of Quadrant Helical Baffle Heat Exchanger with Grooved Joint

AbstractHelical baffle heat exchanger has a wide application in many industrial fields because of its high efficiency and low resistance. A new structure of the grooved helical baffle is proposed to strengthen the stability between the overlapped baffles during the spiral flow of fluid. Based on this structure, the liquid water was selected as the working medium in the tube side and shell side, the flow field characteristics and heat transfer performances of the quadrant helical baffle heat exchanger are numerically analyzed using software FLUENT 2017. The results show that when the helical angle is large (50°) and the overlapped amount is small (0.5), the comprehensive performance of the heat exchanger is the best. Therefore, the heat exchanger performance can be improved by choosing the appropriate combination of helical angle and overlapped amount. The correlation formula of the shell side heat transfer coefficient with helical angle, overlapped amount and mass flow rate is obtained by means of regression analysis, which can provide a reference for engineering application and optimal design of grooved helical baffle heat exchanger. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Additional informationFundingThis work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [52176040].Notes on contributorsGuanlong LuGuanlong Lu is studying for a Master's Degree at Electromechanical Engineering College, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Shandong, China. He received his Bachelor's Degree from the same university in 2019. His current research focuses on heat transfer enhancement.Lichao SunLichao Sun is studying for a master's degree at Electromechanical Engineering College, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Shandong, China. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Henan Agricultural University in 2020. He is working on numerical simulation.Chengzhi ZhaoChengzhi Zhao graduated from Qingdao University of Science and Technology in 2021 with a major in process equipment and control engineering. He is now a Master's Student in Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics at the same university, mainly engaged in research in chemical machinery and equipment.Xiang ZhangXiang Zhang is studying for a Master's Degree at the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, China. In 2021, He received his Bachelor's Degree from the same university. His current research focuses on the cavern changes of pseudoplastic fluid in the stirred tank.Wen SiWen Si is studying for a master's degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Qingdao University of Science and Technology in Shandong, China. He received his bachelor's degree from the same University in 2020. He is working on numerical simulations.Deyu LuanDeyu Luan is currently the supervisor of master students and doctoral students in The School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology. He received his master's degree from Qingdao University of Science and Technology and got a PhD degree from Shandong University. He focuses on the cross fields of engineering thermophysics and chemical engineering, and carries out research work around provincial and national research projects. The main research directions include: process equipment efficient technology; numerical simulation and optimization design of process equipment; jet mixing technology.