Numerical Analysis of Pressure Drops in Single-Phase Flow Through Channels of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers with Dimpled Corrugated Plates

The presented research examines the performance characteristics of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers through computational fluid dynamics (CFD), focusing on pressure drop calculations for single-phase flow within full channels of plates featuring dimpled corrugation. This work aims to bridge gaps in the...

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Main Authors: Lorenzo Giunti, Francesco Giacomelli, Urban Močnik, Giacomo Villi, Adriano Milazzo, Lorenzo Talluri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8431
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author Lorenzo Giunti
Francesco Giacomelli
Urban Močnik
Giacomo Villi
Adriano Milazzo
Lorenzo Talluri
author_facet Lorenzo Giunti
Francesco Giacomelli
Urban Močnik
Giacomo Villi
Adriano Milazzo
Lorenzo Talluri
author_sort Lorenzo Giunti
collection DOAJ
description The presented research examines the performance characteristics of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers through computational fluid dynamics (CFD), focusing on pressure drop calculations for single-phase flow within full channels of plates featuring dimpled corrugation. This work aims to bridge gaps in the literature, particularly regarding the underexplored behavior near the ports for the studied technology and establishing a framework for future conjugate heat transfer studies. A methodology for the domain generation was developed, integrating a preliminary forming simulation to reproduce the complex plate geometry. Comprehensive sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the influence of different parameters and identify the optimal settings for obtaining reliable results. The findings indicate that the <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>k</mi><mo>−</mo><mi>ε</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> realizable turbulence model with enhanced wall treatment offers superior accuracy in predicting pressure drops, with errors within ±4.4%. Additionally, leveraging the information derived from CFD, a strategy to estimate contributions from different channel sections without a direct reliance on those simulations was developed, offering practical implications for plate design.
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spelling doaj-art-952ff9c438b6493f938e18ef20c6cd5d2025-08-20T04:00:54ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-07-011515843110.3390/app15158431Numerical Analysis of Pressure Drops in Single-Phase Flow Through Channels of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers with Dimpled Corrugated PlatesLorenzo Giunti0Francesco Giacomelli1Urban Močnik2Giacomo Villi3Adriano Milazzo4Lorenzo Talluri5Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, ItalyDanfoss S.r.l., Via Corso Tazzoli 221, 10137 Torino, ItalyDanfoss Trata d.o.o., Jožeta Jame 16, 1210 Ljubljana, SloveniaDanfoss S.r.l., Via Corso Tazzoli 221, 10137 Torino, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, ItalyThe presented research examines the performance characteristics of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers through computational fluid dynamics (CFD), focusing on pressure drop calculations for single-phase flow within full channels of plates featuring dimpled corrugation. This work aims to bridge gaps in the literature, particularly regarding the underexplored behavior near the ports for the studied technology and establishing a framework for future conjugate heat transfer studies. A methodology for the domain generation was developed, integrating a preliminary forming simulation to reproduce the complex plate geometry. Comprehensive sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the influence of different parameters and identify the optimal settings for obtaining reliable results. The findings indicate that the <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>k</mi><mo>−</mo><mi>ε</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> realizable turbulence model with enhanced wall treatment offers superior accuracy in predicting pressure drops, with errors within ±4.4%. Additionally, leveraging the information derived from CFD, a strategy to estimate contributions from different channel sections without a direct reliance on those simulations was developed, offering practical implications for plate design.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8431heat exchangerdimple patternCFDpressure drops
spellingShingle Lorenzo Giunti
Francesco Giacomelli
Urban Močnik
Giacomo Villi
Adriano Milazzo
Lorenzo Talluri
Numerical Analysis of Pressure Drops in Single-Phase Flow Through Channels of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers with Dimpled Corrugated Plates
Applied Sciences
heat exchanger
dimple pattern
CFD
pressure drops
title Numerical Analysis of Pressure Drops in Single-Phase Flow Through Channels of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers with Dimpled Corrugated Plates
title_full Numerical Analysis of Pressure Drops in Single-Phase Flow Through Channels of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers with Dimpled Corrugated Plates
title_fullStr Numerical Analysis of Pressure Drops in Single-Phase Flow Through Channels of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers with Dimpled Corrugated Plates
title_full_unstemmed Numerical Analysis of Pressure Drops in Single-Phase Flow Through Channels of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers with Dimpled Corrugated Plates
title_short Numerical Analysis of Pressure Drops in Single-Phase Flow Through Channels of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers with Dimpled Corrugated Plates
title_sort numerical analysis of pressure drops in single phase flow through channels of brazed plate heat exchangers with dimpled corrugated plates
topic heat exchanger
dimple pattern
CFD
pressure drops
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8431
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