Applied Thermal Engineering 163 (2019) 114339

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Applied Thermal Engineering

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/apthermeng

Comments on “Experimental study on thermal–hydraulic performance of a T

wavy fin-and-flat tube aluminum heat exchanger”
M.M. Awad
Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt

H I GH L IG H T S

• These comments are increasing the awareness among the journal readers.
• Comments are presented in particular on the paper by Dong et al. [1].
• Thermal-hydraulic models of Awad and Muzychka [2] have only 1 unknown.
• Thermal-hydraulic correlations of Dong et al. [1] have 6 unknowns.

A R T I C LE I N FO A B S T R A C T

Keywords: These comments are presented to increase the awareness among the readers of Applied Thermal Engineering.
Wavy-fin Comments are presented in particular on the paper by Dong et al. (2013) where the authors investigated ex-
Fin-and-flat tube heat exchanger perimentally the air side thermal-hydraulic performance of a wavy fin-and-flat tube aluminum heat exchanger.
Heat transfer Dong et al. (2013) did not mention some available thermal-hydraulic correlations in the literature like thermal-
Correlation equation
hydraulic correlations of Awad and Muzychka (2011). In addition, Dong et al. (2013) developed air-side friction
Parametric analysis
and heat transfer correlations for wavy-fin compact heat exchangers. Their Fanning friction factor (f) and Nusselt
number (Nu) correlations have six unknowns (one constant and five exponents). On the other hand, thermal-
hydraulic correlations of Awad and Muzychka (2011) have only one unknown (the fitting parameter in the
asymptotic model). For the aim of calculation and design of air cooled compact wavy fin wavy-fin heat ex-
changers, having only one unknown in thermal-hydraulic correlations of Awad and Muzychka (2011) is better
than having six unknowns in thermal-hydraulic correlations of Dong et al. (2013).

In this study, comments in particular on the paper by Dong et al. They developed the experimental correlation equations of the pressure
[1], are presented to increase the awareness among the readers of drop and heat transfer performance for the Reynolds number (Re) range
Applied Thermal Engineering. Details of these comments are given of 600–6000 using the multiple regression analysis methods. Their new
below. f and Nu correlations were:
Dong et al. [1] investigated experimentally the air side thermal-
Fp - 0.138 2A 1.098 L d - 0.45 ⎛ 2A ⎞ - 0.506
hydraulic performance of a wavy fin-and-flat tube aluminum heat ex- f = 15.46 Re - 0.416 ⎛ ⎞
⎜ ⎟ ⎛ ⎞ ⎛ ⎞ ⎜ ⎟

changer. The researchers conducted a set of experimental tests under ⎝ Fh ⎠ ⎝ L ⎠ ⎝L⎠ ⎝ Ld ⎠ (1)
various operating conditions for 16 sets of wavy fin geometry para- - 0.301 - 0.226
Fp 2A 0.7875 L d - 0.254 ⎛ 2A ⎞
meters. They made 4 kinds of various fin tooling according to DOE Nu = 0.0864 Re 0.914 ⎛ ⎞⎜ ⎟ ⎛ ⎞ ⎛ ⎞ ⎜ ⎟

F
⎝ h⎠ ⎝ L ⎠ ⎝L⎠ ⎝ Ld ⎠ (2)
(Design of Experiment) methods in order to include various fin geo-
metry parameters: the fin pitch (Fp), fin height (Fh), fin length (Ld), fin From Eqs. (1) and (2), it is obvious that their Fanning friction factor
wavy length (L), and fin wavy amplitude (2A). The range of these (f) and Nusselt number (Nu) correlations have six unknowns (one
parameters was Fp = 4–8 mm, Fh = 7.5–10.3 mm, Ld = 55–145 mm, constant and five exponents).
L = 10.8–20 mm, and 2A = 0.75–2.4 mm. For these 16 samples, Dong Furthermore, Dong et al. [1] carried out the parametric study for
et al. [1] took the fin thickness (δ) = 0.2 mm. They carried out the thermal hydraulic performance of the wavy fins using the Taguchi
performance tests for these 16 samples in their wind tunnel test rigs. method. They found that the length and amplitude of a wavy fin were

E-mail address: m_m_awad@mans.edu.eg.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2019.114339
Received 8 December 2018; Received in revised form 2 August 2019; Accepted 3 September 2019
Available online 04 September 2019
1359-4311/ © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
M.M. Awad
the most important factors for the heat exchanger's overall thermal
hydraulic performance.
First of all, it should be noted that Dong et al. [1] did not mention
some available thermal-hydraulic correlations in the literature like
thermal-hydraulic correlations of Awad and Muzychka [2]. In that
study, Awad and Muzychka [2] proposed new models, which simplified
the prediction of the Fanning friction factor (f) and Colburn factor (j).
Their new models were developed by combining the asymptotic beha-
vior for the low Reynolds number and laminar boundary layer regions.
In these 2 regions, these models were developed by taking into account
the geometric variables like:
The fin pitch (Fp), fin height (Fh), fin wavy length (L), fin wavy
amplitude (2A), Reynolds number (Re), and Prandtl number (Pr). The
equations of the Fanning friction factor (f) and Colburn factor (j) using
the asymptotic method can be written as follows:
fasy = [(fwavy ) p + (fapp ) p]1/ p (3)
jasy = [(jwavy, T )p + (jLBL ) p]1/ p (4)
In Eq. (3), (fwavy) and (fapp) are calculated using Eq. (19) for low
Reynolds number region and Eq. (23) for laminar boundary layer re-
gion, respectively in Ref. [2]. In Eq. (4), (jwavy,T) and (jLBL) are calcu-
lated using Eq. (30) for low Reynolds number region and Eq. (25) for
laminar boundary layer region, respectively in Ref. [2].
The fitting parameter (p) of pressure drop and heat transfer models
in Eqs. (3) and (4) was equal to 2 and 5, respectively. The proposed
models were compared with numerical and experimental data for air at
various values of the geometric variables obtained from the published
literature like the three reference (standard) arrangements of Kays and
London [3] (surfaces 11.44–3/8 W, 11.5–3/8 W, and 17.8–3/8 W) at
Re = 500–8000, 400–10,000, and 600–5000, respectively. For ex-
ample, the root mean square (RMS) error (eRMS) for f using Eq. (3) with
these three reference (standard) arrangements of Kays and London [3]
equals 13.75%, 12.70%, and 29.23%, respectively while the root mean
square (RMS) error (eRMS) for j using Eq. (4) equals 16.85%, 17.88%,
and 9.69%, respectively. The new models for the Fanning friction factor
(f) and Colburn factor (j) covered a wide range of the Reynolds number
(Re). Since the asymptotic model was based analytically, the asymptotic
model would also allow for proper design assessment of heat exchanger
performance.
Modeling with using the asymptotic method is powerful tool. It
should be noted that more instances of the asymptotic method appli-
cations in heat transfer & fluid flow problems were presented by Awad
in his publications [4–20].
The main advantage of the air-side thermal-hydraulic performance
correlations of wavy-fin compact heat exchangers by Awad and
Muzychka [2] using the asymptotic method over the correlations of
Dong et al. [1] is that they have only one fitting parameter. For the aim
of calculation and design of air cooled compact wavy fin wavy-fin heat
exchangers, having only one unknown in thermal-hydraulic models of
Awad and Muzychka [2] is better than having six unknowns in thermal-
hydraulic correlations of Dong et al. [1]. As a result, calibration of the
thermal-hydraulic models of Awad and Muzychka [2] to experimental
Applied Thermal Engineering 163 (2019) 114339
data is greatly simplified.
References
[1] J. Dong, L. Su, Q. Chen, W. Xu, Experimental study on thermal–hydraulic perfor-
mance of a wavy fin-and-flat tube aluminum heat exchanger, Appl. Therm. Eng. 51
(1–2) (2013) 32–39.
[2] M.M. Awad, Y.S. Muzychka, Models for pressure drop and heat transfer in air cooled
compact wavy fin heat exchangers, J. Enhanced Heat Transfer 18 (3) (2011)
191–207.
[3] W.M. Kays, A.L. London, Compact Heat Exchangers, McGraw Hill, New York, 1984.
[4] M.M. Awad, Y.S. Muzychka, A simple asymptotic compact model for two-phase
frictional pressure gradient in horizontal pipes, in: Proceedings of IMECE 2004,
Session: FE-8 A Gen. Pap.: Multiphase Flows - Experiments and Theory,
IMECE2004-61410, Anaheim, California, November 13–19, 2004.
[5] M.M. Awad, Two-Phase Flow Modeling in Circular Pipes, Ph.D. Thesis Memorial
University of Newfoudland, NL, 2007.
[6] M.M. Awad, Heat transfer from a rotating disk to fluids for a wide range of Prandtl
numbers using the asymptotic model, ASME J. Heat Transfer 130 (1) (2008)
014505.
[7] M.M. Awad, S.D. Butt, A robust asymptotically based modeling approach for two-
phase liquid-liquid flow in pipes, ASME 28th International Conference on Offshore
Mechanics and Arctic Engineering (OMAE2009), Session: Petroleum Technology,
Multiphase Flow I, OMAE2009-79072, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, May 31-June 5,
(2009).
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phase gas-liquid flow in fractures, 12th International Conference on Fracture
(ICF12), Session: Oil and Gas Production and Distribution, ICF2009-646, Ottawa,
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phase flow in porous media, ASME J. Heat Transfer 131 (10) (2009) 101014. The
Special Issue of JHT on Recent Advances in Porous Media Transport.
[10] Y.S. Muzychka, M.M. Awad, Asymptotic generalizations for the Lockhart-Martinelli
method for two phase flows, ASME J. Fluids Eng. 132 (3) (2010) 031302.
[11] M.M. Awad, Y.S. Muzychka, Two-phase flow modeling in microchannels and
minichannels, Heat Transfer Eng. 31 (13) (2010) 1023–1033.
[12] M.M. Awad, Heat transfer for laminar thermally developing flow in parallel-plates
using the asymptotic method, Third International Conference on Thermal Issues in
Emerging Technologies Theory and Application - ThETA3, Heat Transfer
Fundamentals, ThETA3_064, Cairo, Egypt, December 19-22, (2010).
[13] M.M. Awad, Two-phase flow, Chapter 11 in an overview of heat transfer phe-
nomena, in: S.N. Kazi (Ed.), InTech, 2012, pp. 251–340. ISBN:978-953-51-0827-6.
http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/two-phase-flow.
[14] M.M. Awad, Prediction of wall friction factor in horizontal annular flow using the
asymptotic method, Ann. Nucl. Energy 65 (2014) 308–313.
[15] M.M. Awad, Y.S. Muzychka, A robust asymptotically based modeling approach for
two-phase flows, The Special Issue on Multiphase Flow System with Suspended
Particles, Adv. Mech. Eng. (2014) https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/327653.
[16] M.M. Awad, Y.S. Muzychka, Modeling of interfacial component for two-phase
frictional pressure gradient at microscales, The Special Issue on Multiphase Flow
System with Suspended Particles, Adv. Mech. Eng. (2014), Article No. (492435),
https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/492435.
[17] M.M. Awad, Y.S. Muzychka, Review and modeling of two-phase frictional pressure
gradient at microgravity conditions, Interfacial Phenom. Heat Transfer 2 (1) (2014)
15–40, https://doi.org/10.1615/InterfacPhenomHeatTransfer. 2014008025.
[18] M.M. Awad, Heat transfer from a wedge to fluids at any Prandtl number using the
asymptotic model, ASME J. Heat Transfer 136 (9) (2014) 094503, , https://doi.org/
10.1115/1.4027769.
[19] M.M. Awad, S.D. Butt, Two-phase flow modeling in oil and gas applications, in:
ASME 34th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering
(OMAE2015), Symposium 11: Petroleum Technology, Topic 11-1: General
Petroleum Technology, Paper No. OMAE2015-41141, St. John's, Newfoundland,
Canada, May 31-June 5, 2015.
[20] M.M. Awad, Y.S. Muzychka, Modeling of two-phase frictional pressure gradient in
circular pipes, in: ASME 34th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and
Arctic Engineering (OMAE2015), Symposium 11: Petroleum Technology, Topic 11-
1: General Petroleum Technology, Paper No. OMAE2015-41171, St. John's,
Newfoundland, Canada, May 31-June 5, 2015.