Enhancing the thermal performance of a minichannel using a new design of corrugated rectangular winglet pair as vortex generator

Using vortex generators is a common method for enhancing heat transfer in heat exchangers and minichannels. This study examines a novel design of a pair of rectangular winglets, referred to as the Corrugated Rectangular Winglet Pair (CRWP). Executing computer simulations, it investigates the effect of CRWP on fluid flow and heat transfer through a minichannel in two setups: Common Flow Up (CFU) and Common Flow Down (CFD). In the turbulent flow regime with Reynolds numbers ranging from 3300 to 5500, the study examines the performance of CRWP in various configurations by measuring several factors, including the friction factor, Nusselt number, frictional entropy generation, synergy angle, and thermal performance factor. It compares these results to those of the standard Rectangular Winglet Pair (RWP) and smooth channel. It also analyses the shape and structure of the vortices created by CRWP in various configurations using the $Q$ method. The findings reveal that CRWP is more effective at enhancing heat transfer than the base RWP, as it increased the heat transfer rate by 12% and decreased the friction factor by 20%. Furthermore, the CFU configuration of CRWP yields a higher thermal performance factor in all cases, enhancing the overall thermal performance by 15% compared to a smooth channel. The CRWP, in the best possible way, increases the Nusselt number by 36% for the CFD configuration and 35% for the CFU configuration compared to the smooth channel.