Computational approach to evaluation of the flow characteristics in plate heat exchangers

This paper provides results from 3D CFD numerical simulation of the flow distribution, momentum and heat transfer in two corrugated chevron channels of plate heat exchangers with the chevron angles =28°and =65°. The simulations were performed at different flow regimes ranging from Re=10 to Re=6037. Numerically obtained results are compared against the experimentally recorded ones and with those available from the literature. The flow patterns obtained numerically are analyzed and compared with the recorded ones in the visualization tests. In addition, the simulated heat fluxes distributions over the corrugated plates are presented and discussed in light of the flow patterns. Two turbulent flow models applied in the simulations (RNG k- and RSM) are described and discussed with respect to analyzed geometry. Different approaches to presentation of the simulated hydraulic and thermal characteristics are discussed and the most appropriate one is selected.