Numerical Evaluation of Using Metal Foam Twisted Tape in Outer Side of a Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger

This study presents a comprehensive numerical investigation into the thermal and hydraulic performance of a double-pipe heat exchanger equipped with various twisted tape configurations, including metal foam twisted tape, conventional (smooth) twisted tape, and porous media inserts. The analysis is...

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Main Authors: Hassan Hikmat, Issam M. Ali Aljubury
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Diyala 2025-06-01
Series:Diyala Journal of Engineering Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://djes.info/index.php/djes/article/view/1657
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author Hassan Hikmat
Issam M. Ali Aljubury
author_facet Hassan Hikmat
Issam M. Ali Aljubury
author_sort Hassan Hikmat
collection DOAJ
description This study presents a comprehensive numerical investigation into the thermal and hydraulic performance of a double-pipe heat exchanger equipped with various twisted tape configurations, including metal foam twisted tape, conventional (smooth) twisted tape, and porous media inserts. The analysis is conducted using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations in ANSYS Fluent under steady-state conditions, with air and water as the working fluids. Key parameters such as outlet temperature, pressure drop, Nusselt number, thermal performance factor (TPF), and the pitch-to-height ratio (Pt/W = 3.6, 5.2, and 6.8) are evaluated over a wide range of Reynolds numbers (500 < Re < 13,000). The study explores three distinct cases with different external fin configurations to assess the impact of geometric design on heat transfer enhancement. The results indicate a significant improvement in thermal performance when using twisted tape inserts. Conventional twisted tape enhances heat transfer by up to 33% compared to a plain tube; while metal foam twisted tape achieves a 37% enhancement. Furthermore, metal foam twisted tape demonstrates an 11.2% superior thermal performance over conventional twisted tape, particularly in the laminar flow regime. However, at higher velocities (i.e., higher Reynolds numbers), the difference in performance decreases due to flow choking within the metal foam matrix. Maximum heat transfer augmentation is observed before the transition to turbulent flow, after which the performance gradually declines.
format Article
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institution OA Journals
issn 1999-8716
2616-6909
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher University of Diyala
record_format Article
series Diyala Journal of Engineering Sciences
spelling doaj-art-d7ff2791caea4401964bf6828aaa06482025-08-20T02:39:02ZengUniversity of DiyalaDiyala Journal of Engineering Sciences1999-87162616-69092025-06-0118210.24237/djes.2024.18206Numerical Evaluation of Using Metal Foam Twisted Tape in Outer Side of a Double-Pipe Heat ExchangerHassan Hikmat0Issam M. Ali Aljubury1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Baghdad, 10071 Baghdad, IraqDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Baghdad, 10071 Baghdad, Iraq This study presents a comprehensive numerical investigation into the thermal and hydraulic performance of a double-pipe heat exchanger equipped with various twisted tape configurations, including metal foam twisted tape, conventional (smooth) twisted tape, and porous media inserts. The analysis is conducted using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations in ANSYS Fluent under steady-state conditions, with air and water as the working fluids. Key parameters such as outlet temperature, pressure drop, Nusselt number, thermal performance factor (TPF), and the pitch-to-height ratio (Pt/W = 3.6, 5.2, and 6.8) are evaluated over a wide range of Reynolds numbers (500 < Re < 13,000). The study explores three distinct cases with different external fin configurations to assess the impact of geometric design on heat transfer enhancement. The results indicate a significant improvement in thermal performance when using twisted tape inserts. Conventional twisted tape enhances heat transfer by up to 33% compared to a plain tube; while metal foam twisted tape achieves a 37% enhancement. Furthermore, metal foam twisted tape demonstrates an 11.2% superior thermal performance over conventional twisted tape, particularly in the laminar flow regime. However, at higher velocities (i.e., higher Reynolds numbers), the difference in performance decreases due to flow choking within the metal foam matrix. Maximum heat transfer augmentation is observed before the transition to turbulent flow, after which the performance gradually declines. https://djes.info/index.php/djes/article/view/1657Metal foamTwisted tapeThermal performanceHeat Exchanger
spellingShingle Hassan Hikmat
Issam M. Ali Aljubury
Numerical Evaluation of Using Metal Foam Twisted Tape in Outer Side of a Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger
Diyala Journal of Engineering Sciences
Metal foam
Twisted tape
Thermal performance
Heat Exchanger
title Numerical Evaluation of Using Metal Foam Twisted Tape in Outer Side of a Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger
title_full Numerical Evaluation of Using Metal Foam Twisted Tape in Outer Side of a Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger
title_fullStr Numerical Evaluation of Using Metal Foam Twisted Tape in Outer Side of a Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger
title_full_unstemmed Numerical Evaluation of Using Metal Foam Twisted Tape in Outer Side of a Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger
title_short Numerical Evaluation of Using Metal Foam Twisted Tape in Outer Side of a Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger
title_sort numerical evaluation of using metal foam twisted tape in outer side of a double pipe heat exchanger
topic Metal foam
Twisted tape
Thermal performance
Heat Exchanger
url https://djes.info/index.php/djes/article/view/1657
work_keys_str_mv AT hassanhikmat numericalevaluationofusingmetalfoamtwistedtapeinoutersideofadoublepipeheatexchanger
AT issammalialjubury numericalevaluationofusingmetalfoamtwistedtapeinoutersideofadoublepipeheatexchanger