Effect of axial conduction in plates and flow channels on thermo-hydraulic characteristics of plate heat exchangers-Numerical approach

Thermo-hydraulic characteristics of plate heat exchangers have been investigated when axial conduction in plates as well as in flow channels are taken into consideration. The energy balance equations are developed for individual flow channels as well as for individual metal plates including the side plates. The set of governing equations become dimensionless defining reference values and then discretised using FTBCS and FTCS methods. The numerical results show that axial conduction in plates worsens the performance of the exchanger, while axial conduction in flow channels improves the exchanger performance. The results also indicate that the effect of axial conduction in flow channels on exchanger performance is more severe than axial conduction in plates. A linear relationship between the overall heat transfer coefficient and either cold or hot fluid temperature is observed.