Determination of heat transfer characteristics of tube bundles over heating plate by machine learning

Abstract

In this study machine learning is used with the aid of a deep neural network algorithm to predict convective heat transfer characteristics for inline and staggered tube bundles, and correlation equations for Nusselt number and friction factor are derived. Machine learning algorithm's data were obtained from experimental work for various transverse pitch of the tube bundles, longitudinal pitch of the tube bundles and Reynolds number. 276 experimental data points were taken for both inline and staggered tube bundles. However, considering that the data obtained from the experimental study may be insufficient for training, a two-step data augmentation method and retraining with cross-validation was used to prevent data deficiency in the deep neural network structure. Thus, the unseen data in the experimental work were also predicted. The coefficient of determination for the DNN model predictions was obtained greater than 0.96. One correlation equation for Nusselt Number and three correlation equations for friction factor were proposed from the augmented data with machine learning. The R² values of the correlation equations varied between 89 % and 99 %. As a result, machine learning methods successfully applied to predict the Nusselt number and friction factor of tube bundles consistent with the experimental data.