Wall temperature of an internally finned tube has been computed numerically for different fin number, height, and shape by solving conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy using Fluent 12.1 for a steady and laminar flow of fluid inside a tube under mixed flow condition. It has been found that there exists an optimum number for fins to keep the pipe wall temperature at a minimum. The fin height has an optimum value beyond which the wall temperature becomes insensitive to fin height. For a horizontal tube, under mixed flow condition, it is seen that the upper surface has higher average temperature than the lower surface. The impact of fin shape on the heat transfer rate shows that wall temperature is least for triangular-shaped fins, compared to rectangular-and T-shaped fins. In addition to the thermal characteristics, the pressure drop caused due to the presence of fins has also been studied.
Extensive research has been carried out by researchers for improving the thermal efficiency of the microchannel. There are various types of methodologies that have been proposed by authors for different geometry and fluid flow. The use of microchannel in the miniature heat exchangers and microchannel heat sink (MCHS) have taken the science of heat transfer to an another level for which the field of electronic device cooling, aerospace applications, automobile sectors, biomedical engineering, and chemical engineering sectors are being keen toward further development of the technology. Since 3 decades, the microchannel has been tested numerically, experimentally, and analytically for establishing the theories of hydraulic and thermal efficiency during fluid flow. Improper geometry selection of microchannel may lead to carry various losses such as pressure drop, friction factor, wall shear stress, and temperature jump. Available investigations and results have been reviewed immensely in this paper to give a clear prospective for further research in selecting a proper channel geometry.
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