Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 42 (2023) 101884

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Thermal Science and Engineering Progress

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Heat transfer and pressure drop performance improvement using curved

circular spines for flow through circular pipe
Prakash Batule *, Prashant W. Deshmukh, R.M. Warkhedkar
Department of Mechanical Engineering, COEP Technological University, Pune 411005, India

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The heat transfer augmentation method of inserting curved circular spines increases the dwelling time of the
Curved circular spines fluid within the system by inducing swirling motion within the fluid. It is a promising passive heat transfer
Vortex generation augmentation technique for improving average and local heat transfer coefficients in the flow across uniform &
Friction factor
non-uniform cross-sectioned channels at a high Reynolds number. The spines of circular cross-sections can
Local heat transfer enhancement
considerably enhance flow passages employed for various purposes. The heat transfer performance study of tubes
mounted with curved circular spines is presented for turbulent fluid flow conditions for Reynolds numbers
ranging from 10,000 to 50,000. The curved spines are placed in the inline arrangement at the inner wall of the
circular tube, disturb the flow, and break the dominant thermal resistance close to the wall, improving the heat
transfer to the flowing fluid. The heat transfer enhancement at the cost of a rise in the pressure drop is also
studied. The overall performance factor, R3, at the same pumping power, is presented to account for cost-
effectiveness. The numerical results show that the enhancement ratio, Nue/Nuo, and friction factor ratio, fe/fo,
using curved spines are 1.5 to 3.6, and 2.0 to 20.0, respectively, compared with the smooth tube at similar flow
conditions. The Nusselt number ratio, Nue/Nup, at the same pumping power of the equivalent smooth tube, is 0.8
to 1.6.

explored. Zheng et al. [2] examined a specialized passive method of

1. Introduction
The curved spines of circular cross-sections with different alignments
have potential improvers in heat transfer tubular flow for various ap­
plications. Enhancing internal flow through channels or pipes is based
on creating artificial impediments to the mainstream flow. These ob­
structions will induce partitioning of the flow, flow recirculation, local
swirl, longitudinal rotation of the flow, etc. This enhancement technique
can easily be retrofitted in the existing heat exchangers for many in­
dustrial applications, potentially saving the energy associated with heat
loss and pumping power.
Swirl-generating devices are comprehensively reviewed by Maradiya
et al. [1] for enhancement in heat transfer for tubular geometries. The
study contained twisted tape, wire coils, and surface alterations like ribs,
grooves, and fins for basic flow confinements like tubes and ducts. The
increase in heat transfer is credited to the turbulence improvement,
decrease in flow area, and long fluid flow length within the tube. The
impact of the passive devices’ surface restrictions and geometry con­
figurations on the rise in pressure drop and heat transfer was also
producing multi-longitudinal vortex structures using internally grooved
tubes, vortex rods, vortex generators, double discrete inclined ribs, and
conical strips. The authors concluded that these techniques improve the
interaction between the fluid particles and solid surface, enhance heat
transfer, and produce lower entropy generation and power re­
quirements. The authors also added optimization methods to improve
the heat transfer coefficients for different purposes. The authors
concluded that multi-longitudinal vortices are the best devices for
augmentation. Meng et al. [3] investigated the airflow through a round
tube with circumferentially fastened discrete double-inclined ribs
(DDIR) for turbulent and laminar flow conditions. A flow pattern best
suited for enhancing laminar flow in a tube associated with multiple
longitudinal vortex flows has been reported. This turbulence flow fa­
cilitates heat transfer progress with the minimum frictional pressure
drop. Dewan et al. [4] introduced a comprehensive review of
enhancement devices suitable for tubes installed with a helical wire coil
and twisted tape inserts. The authors recommended that the twisted tape
suitability is high for laminar flow because of the mixing of the whole
flow all over the cross-section of the duct or tube. The wire coils are

* Corresponding author at: Department of Mechanical Engineering, COEP Technological University, Wellesley Road, Shivajinagar, Pune 411005, Maharashtra,
India.
E-mail address: Prakash.batule8@gmail.com (P. Batule).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsep.2023.101884
Received 7 August 2022; Received in revised form 21 April 2023; Accepted 1 May 2023
Available online 4 May 2023
2451-9049/© 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
P. Batule et al.
Nomenclature
A inside the surface area of the tube[m2]
b thickness of spines in the x-direction[m]
Cp Specific heat of the fluid [J/kg.K]
C1ε , C2ε constants of the k-ε turbulence model[-]
d inner diameter of the tube[m]
e height of the spines in the y-direction[m]
Gk turbulence kinetic energy, [m2/s2]
l length of the test section[m]
ṁ mass flow rate of the fluid[kg/s]
p pitch of the spines in the tube[m]
Qg heat absorbed by the fluid[W]
q̈ constant heat flux, [W/m2]
r, θ, x cylindrical coordinate system[-]
T temperature[K]
ui axial velocity[m]
v average fluid velocity[m/s]
xi space coordinate in the flow direction[m]
x/d ratio of the tube length to the inner diameter[-]
Greek symbols
β included angle of spines[◦ ]
µ dynamic viscosity[Pa.s]
proper for turbulent flow due to limitations of flow disruptions close to
the wall only. Naphon et al. [5] reported tube irregularity, such as he­
lically grooved ribs, for the rise in heat transfer. The heat transfer boost
for the tube with a grooved rib triggers disruption to the fluid close to the
tube wall, further increasing with a rise in the rib depth. This method
induces escalation in the pressure drop due to enhanced turbulence,
induced revolving flow field, and flow blockage. Gupta et al. [6]
described the regional heat transfer survey of cooling passage with in­
ternal grooves using three distinct rib geometries, sawtooth profiled
ribs, 60◦ broken ribs, and 90◦ continuous ribs for turbulent flow condi­
tions. It has appeared that 60◦ ‘V’ broken ribs show more heat transfer
augmentation than saw tooth profiled ribs and continuous ribs due to
the formation of longitudinal eddies induced by the fluid, which causes
the energy transport. Promvonge and Thianpong et al. [7] reported the
performance analysis for four rectangular channels for three different
shapes of ribs: triangular, wedge / right rectangular, and triangular.
These ribs were placed with reversed and forward flow arrangements,
such as wedges pointing downstream and upstream, in line with the flow
direction. The staggered arrangement is more ineffective than an inline
arrangement for the same Reynolds numbers due to lower flow blockage
and relatively weak flow recirculation within the flow field. Therefore,
the shape of the wedge rib aiming downstream crops the maximum heat
transfer and friction factor increase. Li et al. [8] presented an experi­
mental study for turbulent flow conditions on DDIR tubes. The authors
presented the flow characteristics using a numerical method for the flow
intercepted by discrete inclined ribs. The visualization of flow around a
single rib suggests the induction of four different vortices at different
positions concerning the rib position. DDIR tube produces a 100 to 120
% and 170 to 250 % increase in heat transfer and pressure drop,
respectively, compared to smooth tubes. Kumar and Amano [9] pre­
sented an experimental study for heat transfer and flow appearances for
eight fluid passages fitted with continuous and broken ’V’ ribs. The
broken ’V’ ribs pointing upstream enhance heat transfer in most cases
due to splitting flow near the front point of the rib and generating tur­
bulence around it. SriHarsha et al. [10] presented an experimental study
of rib height for a continuous, broken, detached rib on thermohydraulic
characterization for turbulent flow conditions. The 60◦ broken ribs
generate better heat transfer improvement than the 90◦ continuously
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Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 42 (2023) 101884
μt eddy / turbulent dynamic viscosity[Pa.s]
ρ Fluid density[kg/m3]
Γ diffusion coefficient / thermal conductivity [W/m.K]
ε rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy [m2/s3]
σk turbulent Prandtl number for the kinetic energy dissipation
rate[-]
σε turbulent Prandtl number for turbulence kinetic energy[-]
Subscripts
b bulk fluid
e enhanced case of the tube
o smooth tube flow at an equal Reynolds number
p smooth tube flow at equal pumping power
Dimensionless numbers
e/d ratio of the height of the spines in y-direction to the inner
diameter of tube
f friction factor
Nu Nusselt number
Pr Prandtl number for air = 0.698
p/b ratio of pitch to spine thickness
Prt turbulent Prantl number
( )
Re Reynolds number, = ρ.v.d μ
attached ribs due to the creation of eddies inside the flow; however, a
higher pressure drop is observed in the case of ’V-shaped ribs. The gap
between the wall and the broken rib’s base could not be competent to
create anticipated turmoil within the flow field, therefore generating
lower heat transfer improvement. Sharam et al. [11] described the effect
of the arrangement of pentagonal ribs in a rectangular conduit for heat
transfer improvement for turbulent flow conditions. The flow separation
and generation of vortices were the mechanisms of heat transfer inten­
sification for pentagonal ribs. Chung et al. [12] presented a thermohy­
draulic performance study of angled and intersecting ribs positioned in
the rectangular path of three distinct aspect ratios varying from 1 to 4.
The angled rib with a 60◦ angle of the attack indicated low performance
when situated at a higher aspect ratio channel. Consequently, a new
shape of ribs with connecting geometries named intersecting ribs was
tested and found best for high aspect ratio passages. Manglik and Bergles
[13] specify two performance assessment criteria, R1 and R3, for eval­
uating the thermohydraulic performance of curved circular spines.
Awais and Bhuiyan [14] reported a comprehensive review of experi­
mental and numerical studies on different vortex generators on heat
transfer augmentation and related pressure losses associated with each
type. The authors revealed that the delta-shaped vortex generators
provide maximum thermal transport due to thorough fluid mixing and
the generation of longitudinal vortices in the downstream direction of
fluid flow. The authors suggest the optimum angle of attack equal to 30◦
and 45◦ for a delta wing-shaped vortex generator for maximum heat
transfer enhancement with minimum pressure drop. Jayranaiwachira
et al. [15] present an experimental study on the thermal and entropy
production study of the tube fitted with curved baffle tape. The authors
concluded that the low values of the thermal evaluation factor were
observed at lower flow rates and the optimum value of entropy pro­
duction at higher values of the thermal evaluation factor. Zhai et al.
[16,17] presented the study of winglet vortex generator (VG) pairs
enhancing the heat transfer suitable for flow through circular tubes. A
parametric study was presented, including the various geometrical pa­
rameters affecting thermal transport. Using the smoke flow visualization
technique, the authors presented the visualization of the flow in the form
of a longitudinal vortex in the presence of these VG pairs. A clockwise
vortex was detected downstream of the winglet VG pair. Promvonge and
P. Batule et al.
Fig. 1. Computational model. (a) Meshed tube (b) Tube section in y-z plane (c) Position of curved circular spines in the tube.
Skullong [18] reported experimental results for thermal and pressure
drop analysis and entropy production in the tube fitted with louvered
winglet tapes. The authors concluded that inline louvered winglet tape
showed a substantial thermohydraulic performance increase with a
slight rise in the flow friction. Sharma et al. [19] assessed the thermo­
hydraulic performance analysis of the triangular vortex generator
especially suited to flow through the circular tubes. The authors
concluded that the formation of longitudinal and transverse vortices
causes the fluid flow to mix between the hot and cold streams,
3
Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 42 (2023) 101884
enhancing the heat transfer. The authors also concluded that the trian­
gular shape of large height and base width provides a larger thermal
performance.
The literature indicates that the ribs are a strong contender for pas­
sive heat transfer improvement techniques for flow routes such as
channels and conduits with uniform or non-uniform cross-sections. Also,
this augmentation method does not need any external agency to inten­
sify the swirl within the flow field. However, the literature on thermal
transfer intensification employing ribs for flow through circular cross-
P. Batule et al. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 42 (2023) 101884

Table 1
Summary of operating parameters.
Model

solver Segregated
Space Three dimensional
Formulation Implicit
Viscous model k-ε standard
Time Steady
Near-wall treatment Standard wall functions

Boundary Conditions
Fig. 2. Geometry details of curved circular spines.
Inlet of the tube Velocity inlet
Outlet of the tube Outflow, Gauge pressure = 0 kPa
Outer wall of the tube ∂T Table 2
Constant heat flux, − Γ = q̈
∂r
Details of curved circular spine configurations.
β (◦ ) b (mm) e (mm) p/b (− ) e/d (− )
sections is scarce. Therefore, in the present study, the spines enhance 45◦ 9 9 11.11 0.35
heat transfer flow through the circular tube. The shape ribs are made in 60◦ 9 9 11.11 0.35
the form of curved rings, so-called curved spines, to be suitable for heat 90◦ 9 9 11.11 0.35
45◦ 6 6 4.17 0.24
transfer intensification for the flow through circular tubes. Also, the
45◦ 6 6 8.33 0.24
geometric parameters of these curved spines are studied for their effects 45◦ 6 6 16.67 0.24
on thermohydraulic performance. The curved spines of three distinct
included angles are positioned at the inside surface of the circular tube,
with an inline arrangement within the tube. This arrangement of spines The flow domain is a circular tube with curved circular spines at its
at the periphery of the inner wall of the circular tube induces distur­ inner wall for airflow under turbulent conditions. The unique curved
bance to the mainstream flow and imparts the generation and transport circular spines configuration of different shapes and geometrical pa­
of vortices in the flow. These longitudinal vortices cause bulk fluid rameters were simulated in Ansys fluent [17] for heat transfer and
mixing near the tube’s heated inner surface, which favors forced con­ pressure drop performance. The length and inner diameter of the cir­
vection heat transfer to the flowing fluid. cular tube are 1000 mm and 25 mm, respectively, as shown in Fig. 1a.
The curved circular spines of three different included angles β, spine
2. Numerical procedure and methodology height to tube diameter ratio, e/d, are considered. The circular spines are
placed with an inline arrangement so that two curved spines remain in
Novel curved spines configurations of different shapes and geomet­ the opposite direction, i.e., 180◦ apart in the radial direction within the
rical parameters were numerically studied using a three-dimensional tube, as shown in Fig. 1c. The meshed fluid domain of the tube with
computational model, as shown in Fig. 1. The summary of operating spines in the y-z plane is shown in Fig. 1b.
parameters used in the present numerical study are shown in Table 1. The numerical results for the Nusselt number and friction factor in a
smooth pipe agreed well with those estimated from the correlations
proposed by “Dittus Boelter” and “Blausius,” respectively.
2.1. Governing equations
2.2. Geometry details of curved circular spines
The governing equation for steady-state turbulent airflow in a cir­
cular tube fitted with curved spines is presented by Leng et al. [20]. In The geometry of the spines, shown in Fig. 2, is a circular cross-section
the present study, the outer surface of the circular tube was specified of diameter, b, i.e., and roughness height, e having included angle, β,
with the Neumann boundary condition, i.e., a constant heat-flux. The which specifies the arc length of spines in the circumferential direction.
mass conservation equation for steady-state tube flow in the cartesian The outer radius of the spines is attached to the inner wall of the tube
coordinate system is used. They are mentioned below: with an inline arrangement in a streamwise order at different pitches.
The Ansys fluent [17] commercial software simulates three different
∂ui
=0 (1) included angles, β at and at two different spine heights and thicknesses.
∂xi
Six configurations are simulated for study for their thermohydraulic
The turbulence transport model k-ε at steady-state is given as: performance for Reynolds number ranges from 10,000 to 50,000. The
[( ) ] lower and higher values of the parameter ratio of pitch to spine thickness
∂(kui ) ∂ μ ∂k
ρ = μ+ t + Gk − ρε (2) p/b, the ratio of the height of the spines in the y-direction to the inner
∂xi ∂xj σk ∂xj
diameter of the tube e/d affects the amount of heat transfer enhance­
[( ) ] ment due to different intensities of secondary flow. Hence four different
∂(εui ) ∂ μt ∂ε ε ε2
ρ = μ+ + C1ε Gk − C2ε ρ (3) values of p/b at two different values of e/d were selected for the study as
∂xi ∂xj σ ε ∂xj k k
mentioned in Table 2.
The energy transport equation at steady-state conditions is given as
follows: 2.3. Calculations and validation of results
[( ) ]
∂(T) ∂ c μ ∂T
ui = α+ p t (4) The pressure difference, ΔP, between the inlet and outlet of the tube
∂xi ∂xj Prt ∂xj
is obtained at inlet and outlet boundaries from the Ansys post-processing
The convection term of the energy equation was discretized using the results. The friction factor is calculated as follows:
2nd order upwind scheme. In contrast, a semi-implicit convective ki­
π2 ρΔPd5
netics (SIMPLE) method was used for the momentum equation. A f = (5)
convergence criterion of 10-6 was set for successive values of each fluid 8lṁ2
flow variable used in continuity, x, y, and z momentum and energy. The amount of heat increased for the fluid while passing in the tube,

4
P. Batule et al. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 42 (2023) 101884

Nuo

fo
Reo
Fig. 3. Validation of numerical results of the present study for smooth tube flow.

Qg, is computed using the inlet,Tbi and outlet, Tbo bulk temperatures of
the fluid.
Qg = ṁCP (Tbo − Tbi ) (6)

ṁ is the rate of mass flow and CP is the specific heat of the fluid at a
uniform pressure. The fluid properties density, ρ, specific heat,CP are
considered at the mean temperature of the fluid between the inlet Tbi
and the outlet Tbo of the tube. The value of dynamic viscosity μ for
calculation of Reynolds number at inlet condition, is considered at the
temperature at the inlet of the tube, Tbi .
Local heat Nusselt number,Nu(x, θ) was obtained as:
Qg × d
Nu(x, θ) =
A × [TW (x, θ) − Tb (x) ] × k

x
Tb (x) = Tbi + (Tbo − Tbi )
l
The Nusselt number average value is obtained using the:
∫ 2π ∫ L
Nu(x, θ).dθ.dx Fig. 4. Grid Independence study for average Nusselt number, Nue and friction
Nue = 0 ∫02π ∫ L (8)
0 0
dθ.dx factor, fe for smooth tube flow.

It is necessary to have a proper performance evaluation methodology

for various inserts, as the heat transfer and pressure drop rate are (
fe × (Ree )3 = fo × Rep
)3
essential concerns for any heat exchange device. A comprehensive term,
performance factor R3, specified by Bergles and Manglik [13], is based (Ree )3
→ Rep 2.75 = fe ×
on increased heat transfer at constant pumping power and heat ex­ 0.316
change surface area. The calculations for performance factor R3 are
The Nusselt number at equivalent smooth tube obtained at comparable
given below.
Reynolds number, Rep, and the performance factor R3 were evaluated
The Nusselt number and friction factor values for the empty tube are
using:
used using relations specified by Dittus Boelter and Blasius [21].
Nue
Nuo = 0.023Reo 0.8 .Pr0.4 (9) Nup = 0.023Rep 0.8 Pr0.4 , R3 = (11)
Nup
fo = 0.316Reo − 0.25
(10)
The numerical simulations are performed for flow through a smooth
The equivalent smooth tube, Rep, was obtained using the friction tube. The values of the present study’s average Nusselt number and
factor, fa, for the insert at the corresponding Reynolds number Rep, as: friction factor with the values specified by Eqs. (9) and (10) are shown in
Fig. 3. The mismatch is observed as less than 5% for average Nusselt

5
P. Batule et al. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 42 (2023) 101884

Fig. 5. Contours of velocity at different streamwise sections (a) y-z planes – at leading, middle, and trailing portions (b) x–y plane – tube center (c) x–y planes – at
leading, middle, and trailing portions (d) velocity vectors in three-dimensional view for curved circular spines of configuration p/b = 4.17, β = 45◦ , e/d = 0.35 at Re
= 50,000.

6
P. Batule et al. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 42 (2023) 101884

Fig. 6. Circumferential averaged local heat transfer ratio, Nue(x)/Nuo, along the tube length.

number, Nu, and friction factor, f.

Fig. 4 shows the grid independence study of the simulation model
used in the present study. The average Nusselt number and friction
factor values remain unchanged for the number of nodes equal to
1,000,000.

3. Results and discussion

The average and local heat transfer for tubes with spines are pre­
sented using spines’ flow conceptions and changes.

3.1. Flow conceptions in the presence of curved circular spines

The mainstream flow structure in the tube is altered due to spines at

the inner wall, and it induces cross-flow velocities in the vicinity of these
elements, as shown in Fig. 5a and b, on different planes normal to the
flow direction. The velocity contours at the leading part of the spines
show the generation of cross velocities, further intensified at the middle
and trailing portion of the spine element. The maximum recirculation is
observed at the trailing part, and in the downstream direction, its in­
tensity vanishes. These changes are evident in Fig. 5a. The generation
and transport of flow disturbance are also clearly visible in Fig. 5c at
different y-z planes. The plane at the leading portion of the spine shows
the initiation of vortices, which further intensify in the middle section of
the spine, reaching a maximum at the trailing part of the spine. The
plane between two successive spines shows the presence of vortices
within the flow, indicating the effective transport of flow disturbance in
the downstream direction even after the location of the circular spine.
The velocity vectors around the spines, shown in Fig. 5d, reveal that the
three-dimensional flow around the spines shows the generation of cross-
flow velocities and recirculation at the rear portion of each curved spine.
This recirculation causes the fluid flow to mix between the fluid streams
at different temperatures, enhancing the heat transfer to the flowing
fluid.
3.2. Local heat transfer
The local heat transfer coefficient variation is obtained for the tube
fitted with circumferentially attached spines, shown in Fig. 6 for the
Fig. 7. Circumferential averaged local heat transfer ratio, Nue(x)/Nuo, along
the tube length.
configuration of spines varying at different roughness heights at the
same included angle, β = 45◦ at Reynolds number Re = 40,000. The
figure shows the peak in local values of the Nusselt number ratio due to
the physical presence of individual spine elements within the tube. The
local Nusselt number value shows the variation from a lower value of 1.6
at the leading edge to its maximum of 2.60 at the trailing edge of the
spine. These variations are the outstanding feature of locally enhancing
the heat transfer at a specific location. Local heat transfer enhancement
is enhanced at a particular spine location within the tube due to cross
velocities generated as the mainstream flow encounters their presence.
These velocities cause better fluid mixing between the fluid near the
heated wall and the mainstream flow, creating a lower local wall tem­
perature, which indicates the enhancement in the local heat transfer.
After the flow encounters individual spines and the downstream, the
intensity of cross-flow velocities gradually decreases, reducing the local
heat transfer values between the two straight spines.
Fig. 7 shows the temperature contours on the outer surface of the
tube in which the curved spines are fitted. It can be seen that there is a
significant drop in the surface temperature at the locations where the

7
P. Batule et al.
Nue/Nuo
Fig. 8. Average enhancement ratio, Nue/Nuo variation with included angle, β.
Nue/Nuo
p/b
Fig. 9. Average enhancement ratio, Nue/Nuo variation with p/b ratio.
curved spines are attached to the inner surface of the tube. At the outer
surface of the tube, a constant heat flux boundary condition is specified.
This constant heat flux boundary condition ensures that the tube loca­
tions having lower surface temperature results in larger values of local
heat transfer coefficients. i.e., larger values of surface Nusselt number.
3.3. Effect of the included angle, β
The value of heat transfer enhancement depends on the extent of
contact of curved spines with the inner wall of the tube. Hence it is
decided to observe the effect of included angle β, on heat transfer and
pressure drop rise, three different values of included angle β, viz. 45◦ ,
60◦ , and 90◦ were tested. The effect of the included spine angle, β, on
heat transfer enhancement is observed in Fig. 8 for four different Rey­
nolds numbers. At the same roughness height, e/d ratio, and pitch to
spine thickness ratio p/b, the heat transfer increases with an increase in
included angle, β of the spine. It is important to note that the circum­
ferential roughness increases with increased had angle, β of the spine.
This roughness causes more production of eddies within the mainstream
flow, enhancing heat transfer. It is to be noted that there is a slight in­
crease in heat transfer values for the rise in included angle, β, from 45◦ to
60◦ , and a further decrease in enhancement from the included angle, β,
from 45◦ to 90◦ . The reduction in enhancement is due to the blockage of
fluid near the wall at β = 90◦ , causing the restriction of cooler main­
stream fluid toward the heated wall, thereby reducing the heat transfer
enhancement.
8
Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 42 (2023) 101884
Nue/Nuo
Re
Fig. 10. Average enhancement ratio, Nue/Nuo with Reynolds number, Re.
3.4. Effect of the pitch of the spines, p/b ratio
The effect of the pitch to spine thickness ratio p/b at the same e/
d ratio, Reynolds number, is an essential parameter for optimizing the
spine configurations studied. Fig. 9 shows the average heat transfer Nue/
Nuo variation with a p/b ratio at β = 45◦ , e/d = 0.24.
The low p/b ratio indicates the higher number of spines in the tube
increases the heat transfer. The lower number of spines corresponding to
a higher p/b ratio will reduce the disturbance to the flow structure,
hence the heat transfer. This phenomenon is observed in all Reynolds
number flows. The heat transfer enhancement is almost linearly
decreasing with increasing the p/b ratio. At lower values of p/b, the
present study is not extended because it drastically increases the pres­
sure drop, giving an extravagant thermohydraulic performance.
3.5. Thermohydraulic performance of all configurations
Six configurations of spines of four different p/b ratios, three
different included angles, β, and two different e/d ratios were analyzed
for heat transfer coefficient, and pressure drop calculations are shown in
Fig. 10. The average enhancement ratio, Nue/Nuo, is observed to be
maximum for a configuration having a p/b ratio of 4.17, included angle β
equal to 45◦ , and e/d ratio equal to 0.24. It is important to note that the
configuration of spines involving included angle β = 90◦ and a lower p/b
ratio value shows a higher enhancement factor. This is due to higher
P. Batule et al. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 42 (2023) 101884

contact of spine element to the inner wall of the tube due to higher β, and
a greater number of spine elements due to a lower value of p/b ratio in
comparison with the other spine configurations of β equal to 45◦ and
fe/fo

60◦ . All configurations show an enhancement factor between 1.5 and 3.6
for Reynolds number up to 20,000; however, after this Re value, the
enhancement gradually becomes steady irrespective of the Re value.
The variation of friction factor augmentation is shown in Fig. 11 with
the Reynolds number for different spine configurations. It is observed
that the tube with spine elements having p/b = 4.17, β = 90◦ offers more
frictional resistance to the flow of fluid, causing more pressure drop
across the tube. The spine configurations of higher p/b = 16.67 and
lower p/b = 4.17 show lower and higher pressure drop. The other spine
configurations produce an average friction factor ratio of 2.0 to 10.0.
Fig. 12 shows the linear decrease in the performance factor R3 value
Re
concerning the equivalent Reynolds number Rep. It is interesting to note
Fig. 11. Average friction factor ratio, fe/fs variation with Reynolds number, Re. that the performance factor R3 is observed to be between 1.6 and 1.25
till the Rep value of 20,000. It is important to note that almost all the
spine configurations are more suitable at lower flow rates.
Nue/Nup

3.6. Thermohydraulic performance comparison with other techniques

reported in the literature

The most recent literature on passive heat transfer augmentation is

R3

referred to, and their thermohydraulic performance results are mapped

to assess the performance evaluation parameter R3. The comparison
between these reported techniques and the results of the best configu­
ration of the present study is shown in Fig. 13. The comparison shows
that the performance of only curved baffle tape reported by Jayr­
anaiwachira et al. [15] provides higher results in comparison with the
other methods reported in the literature. The performance of curved
spines used in the present study also shows promising results along with
Rep
the methods reported in the literature, such as the winglet vortex
generator reported by Zhai et al. [16,17], louvered winglet tapes re­
Fig. 12. Average performance factor, R3, i.e., Nue/Nup with equivalent Rey­ ported by Promvonge and Skullong [18], triangular vortex generator
nolds number, Rep. reported by Sharma et al. [19].
Nue/Nup
R3

Rep

Fig. 13. Comparison of the results of the present study with reported work based on average performance factor, R3, i.e., Nue/Nu.

9
P. Batule et al.
4. Conclusions
Numerical analysis for local and average pressure drops and heat
transfer for airflow across a tube attached with different spine config­
urations. The conclusions from work are:
1. The mainstream flow is diverted along with the spine element,
causing flow separation generation of vortices from the leading to
the trailing part, where maximum fluid mixing occurs. The intensity
of these cross-flows is gradually decreasing in the downstream
direction.
2. Because of the circular spines at the tube’s inner wall, the tube’s local
heat transmission improves in a radial direction. These roughness
components create flow separation, churning along the wall, and
improved fluid mixing near the individual spine element.
3. The average enhancement factor is 1.5 to 3.6 at the same Reynolds
number for all spine configurations. The corresponding friction fac­
tor enhancement is also observed between 2.0 and 20.0.
4. The factor R3, which accounts for increased heat transmission and
pressure loss, implies that spine elements are more effective and cost-
effective for lower Re values until 20,000. Beyond this point, the
friction factor increases with a reduced heat transfer improvement.
5. The comparison between the reported techniques and the results of
the present study based on factor R3 shows that the performance of
only curved baffle tape [15] provides higher values. However, the
performance of curved spines used in the present study also shows
promising results along with the methods reported in the literature.
6. The spine components cause local fluid mixing within the tube,
increasing local heat transmission. As a result, this approach has the
potential to be used at various points along the tube where desired
heat transfer augmentation is required.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Prakash Batule: Software, Formal analysis. Prashant W. Desh­
mukh: Conceptualization, Methodology, Visualization, Project admin­
istration, Resources, Supervision. R.M. Warkhedkar: Supervision.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Data availability
No data was used for the research described in the article.
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