Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Effects of Amplitude, Pitch, and Chevron Angle in a Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger

Abstract

Brazed plate heat exchangers are renowned for their compact design and exceptional heat transfer capabilities. However, their intricate geometry sets them apart from other type of heat exchangers. Traditionally, studies have been somewhat limited in exploring diverse geometrical parameters due to the considerable manufacturing costs associated with each variation. Moreover, the complexity of the geometry poses challenges for simulation and numerical analyses, often resulting in inefficient models due to the generation of a large number of elements. To address these challenges, simulation models have been devised leveraging the concept of periodicity and simulated using periodic boundary conditions within ANSYS Fluent. This novel approach enables the variation and simulation of all geometric features with significantly fewer elements. Parameters such as pitch, amplitude, and chevron angle have been subjected to variation and simulated under similar conditions which was not done in any previous studies. The findings underscore the pronounced influence of the chevron angle, whereas the impact of amplitude and pitch becomes significant primarily at higher Reynolds numbers, affecting heat transfer and pressure drop. Furthermore, the discussion extends to an experimental setup proposed to evaluate the heat performance of heat exchanger across varying heat loads and flow rates.