Enhancing the thermal performance of different types of heat exchangers with fins: A comprehensive review

Heat exchangers are critical for thermal energy management efficiency in aerospace, automotive, food processing, and energy sector operations. This thorough study analyzes the thermal performance upgrades for different heat exchanger systems, particularly fins. Finned heat exchangers—including shell-and-tube, double-pipe, and compact types—enhance heat transfer through advanced geometries and manufacturing. Shell-and-tube heat exchangers (STHXs) perform well in cross-flow and phase-change but face maintenance and cost challenges. Double-pipe heat exchangers (DPHEs) improve performance but often have higher pressure drops and limited real-world testing. Compact heat exchangers (CHE) are space-efficient and benefit from additive manufacturing but face fabrication complexity and scalability issues and need further optimization and material innovation. The review analyzes new methods that optimize heat transfer performance using modern fin shapes, including rectangle-shaped fins, triangles, trapezoids, pin fins, and wavy fins. According to test results, these alternative fin designs lead to enhanced heat transfer rates and maintainable pressure drop levels. Scientific research has validated wavy fins as heat transfer performers because they enhance the Nusselt number to 28 % above circular tubes. Using ten longitudinal and wavy fins demonstrated maximum performance capabilities by reaching an overall response value of 1.33 in DPHEs. Future academic research moves toward designing compound heat exchangers from different materials while investigating novel performance-enhancing alternatives for thermal management systems in multiple applications. The review is a key reference to bridge gaps between heat exchanger design and optimization methods.