Simulation Study on Efficiency of Woven Matrix Wire and Tube Heat Exchanger

Wire and tube heat exchanger has been utilized in refrigerators whose cooling performance depends on how much the wire are releasing heat. Wire efficiency is an important factor of the performance. The woven matrix is a new design of wire configuration on wire and tube heat exchanger. This research focused on optimization design of woven matix by varying wire pitch (pw ۵,۷,۹ mm) and three inlet massflows with controlling the hot fluid temperature at ۳۵۳K.  Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulation is used to determine heat transfer distribution of fluid in tube. The validation was conducted experimentally by measuring ۹ temperature points at heat exchanger.  This research  revealed that pw ۷ mm with massflow rate ۰.۰۰۰۵۷۱kg/s can decrease fluid temperature until it reaches ۳۰oC with all wires working to release the heat and it results ۷۴% wire efficiency. Then, pw ۹ mm with massflow ۰.۰۰۱۱kg/s has ۶۴% wire efficiency, it was because the heat exchanger cannot decrease the fluid temperature to ۳۰۳K. At high massflow, heat exchanger need more wire to decrease the temperature down to ۳۰۳K. This research is recommended for cooling system widely applied in food industry, an optimal cooling system will reduce the cost of electricity consumption for cooler.

Keywords:

Woven Matrix Wire and Tube Heat Exchanger , Wire Pitch , Massflow Rate , Wire Efficiency , heat transfer , Temperature and Velocity Contour