Special Issue - 2019 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)

ISSN: 2278-0181
RTICCT - 2019 Conference Proceedings

A Study of the Literature Review on Heat

Transfer in A Helically Coiled Heat Exchanger
S. Bhuvaneswari1 G. Elatharasan2*
2.
Research Scholar, Assistant Professor,
University College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Pattukkottai, Rajamadam-614701. University College of Engineering.,
Pattukkottai.Rajamadam-614701.

Abstract— The article gives a detailed discussion on the fit into our palms. The fabrication cost, installation, size and
literature study of heat transfer in a helically coiled heat weight contribute to the design. Heat exchangers can be
exchanger. Heat transfer characteristics inside a helical coil for classified according to transfer process, construction, number
various boundary conditions are studied. The effects of different of fluids, surface compactness, flow arrangement and heat
flow parameters are analysed An experimental setup is done for
estimating the characteristics of heat transfer. The inner heat
transfer mechanisms
transfer coefficient is calculated by the numerical method.
11 Helically coiled pipes Terminology
Keywords—: Heat Transfer, Helically coil, Heat Exchanger, The figure 1 gives the structure of helical coil with the inner
Boundary Conditions. diameter 2r. The coil diameter is given by 2RC which is the
measurement between the centers of the pipes. The distance
1 INTRODUCTION between two adjacent turns is called pitch denoted by H. The
The literature states that the heat transfer rates in helical coils curvature ratio is defined as the ratio of the pipe diameter to
are higher as compared to straight tubes. Because of the coil diameter(r/Rc). Consider a cross section of the pipe
compact structure and high heat transfer coefficient, helical created by a plane axis is called the helix angle passing
coil heat exchangers has its wide variety of applications in through the coil axis. The side of pipe which is nearest to the
power generation, nuclear reactors, air-conditioning, axis of the coil is called inner side of the coil and the side
automotive industries, electronics, cryogenic processes heat farthest is called outer side of the coil. Dean number is used
recovery systems, chemical processing steam power plants, to study the flow characterization in the helical pipe.
food industry, cryogenic processes, transportation power
systems, refrigeration units etc., The size of the heat 111 Heat transfer in Laminar and Turbulent flow
exchanger is decreased considerably by heat transfer ➢ An additional mechanism of heat transfer in the radial
enhancement techniques. The enhancement techniques is and azimuthal directions is possible in turbulent flow.
divided into two groups active and passive The active This is called as eddy transport and it provides energy
techniques require external forces like vibration of fluid, across the flow at a given axial position than in the
surface vibration and electric field. The passive techniques laminar flow. The conduction is the mechanism that
use the surface geometries. The combination of two operates in the transverse directions.
techniques are used to improve the heat transfer performance ➢ The thermal entrance region is short in turbulent flow
in heat exchangers because of the intense transverse transport of energy
wand long in laminar flow.
➢ Heat transfer correlation are based on the
experimental results applicable in the thermal
entrance region and in fully developed region
whereas in the laminar flow it is designed to be short
Fig 1 to account the high heat transfer rates that is possible
in the thermal entrance region. This is the typical heat
The helically coiled tubes are considered as the passive heat transfer occurs in the fully developed region on
transfer enhancement techniques areused in many turbulent flow.
applications related to industries.
Helically coiled are considered superior to the straight tubes IV. SINGLE PHASE FLOW
due to secondary flow development by the centrifugal force
caused by the curvature of the tube. Thermal performance The centrifugal force is generated when the fluid flows
and pressure drop of the shell have been studied by through the curved tubes because of its curvature. This
Naphon[1]. The literature reveals the investigation on the secondary flow induced by the centrifugal force enhance the
heat transfer coefficient mostly based on the geometrical rate of heat transfer The characteristics of single phase heat
effects. Heat exchangers have started with transportation transfer in helically coiled tubes has been studied
from large ones like trucks, airplanes to small ones which is experimentally and theoretically by the researchers. The
large volume of results obtained by numerical method at

Volume 7, Issue 01 Published by, www.ijert.org 1

Special Issue - 2019 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
RTICCT - 2019 Conference Proceedings

low cost. Dravid et al. [2] investigated numerically the effect Fig 2 represents the secondary flow developed due to
of secondary laminar flow heat transfer in helically coiled curvature
tubes in the fully developed region as well as and in the
thermal entrance region. The value of the Reynolds number
helps to determine the flow is laminar or turbulent.’where D
is the inside diameter of the tube or pipe,V is the average
velocity of the fluid, 𝜌 is the density of the fluid, and µ is the
dynamic viscosity. Kinematic viscosity . The mass flow rate
is related to volumetric flow rate Q, where m=Q*𝜌.For the
range of Re in the range if 𝑅𝑒 < 2300 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟 Fig 2
2300 < 𝑅𝑒 < 4000 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑖𝑛
VI. Helical coil heat exchanger parameters:
𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑓 𝑅𝑒 > 4000, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡. The turbulent
flow is unsteady and time dependent fluctuations in pressure The length of coil is defined as 𝐿𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 = 𝑁𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 √𝜋𝑑0 2 + 𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑐ℎ2
and velocity. The general schematic diagram is given by fig2. 𝜋
The extent of centrifugal force depends on the axial velocity Volume occupied by the coil = 𝑑0 2 𝐿𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙
4
of the particle and coil radius of curvature. The fluid particles 𝜋 2
𝑑0 𝐿𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙
flows at the core of the pipe have high velocity than that of 𝜋
4
near to the wall of the pipe. The stream drives the fluid Annulus volume = (𝐷2 𝑖𝑛 − 𝐷2 𝑜𝑢𝑡 )𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑐ℎ ∗ 𝐿𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙
4
towards the inner wall of the tube causes counter-rotating Volume of the fluid flow = Annuls volume - coil volume.
vortices called as secondary flow. It provides the transport of
the fluid over the pipe’s cross section. This convective (i)Heat Transfer Coefficient
transport increases the heat transfer when compared to The vicinity of the fluid’s surface and film which is
straight tube. The effect of the curvature of the coil decreases turbulence free covers the surface in the convective heat
the turbulent fluctuations. Heat transfer augmentation transfer from surface to fluid. It takes place by thermal
technique is adopted to enhance theat transfer in single phase. conduction and improves the heat transfer by increasing the
Helical coils provide more surface area for a given volume. velocity of the fluid over the surface and reducing the film
The movement of fluid particles in helical coils increases the thickness.
pumping power requirement compared to the straight tube.
Vaishisth et al [3] has given a review of fluid flow transfer in (ii) Dean number:
curved tube with their application in process industry. The Dean number is defined as the ratio of the viscous force
Fundamental studies explains clearly explains the secondary acting on a fluid flows in a curved pipe to the centrifugal
flow mechanism with the geometric parameters like diameter force. It characterizes the flow in a helical pipe. For the same
of the pipe. Coil diameter and pitch. The collection of flow the dean number cannot be more than the Reynolds
published single phase friction factors, Reynolds number for number. The effects of centrifugal force dominate the flow as
the laminar and turbulent flow. Curvature ratio changes the the Dean number approaches to the Reynolds number. Due to
secondary flow’s strength which stabilizes the flow and the geometry of the helical coil the heat transfer coefficient is
causes delay in turbulence inception. Seban and Mclanghlin large. The Dean number is given by
[4 ] estimated the correlation based on the measurement of
temperature by the thermocouples at axial location followed 𝑑
𝐷𝑒 = 𝑅𝑒√
by Rogers and Mayhew[5]. Several papers on it report that 𝐷
correlation of heat transfer for their own range of Dean and Where d is the diameter of tube and D is coil’s diameter.
Reynolds number which is more than the critical value. Dean is the first person to study the flow patterns using
Torsion reduces the efficiency of Reynolds number which in toroidal coordinate system. He studied that the secondary
turn emerges turbulence. This increases as torsion increases flow divides along tube diameter into two distinct re-
and it attains maximum and then decreases with the increase circulating vortices. Rennie [ 8] studied the characteristics of
in torsion. Jamshidi et al [6] studied the geometric heat transfer in a helical heat exchanger for parallel and
parameters to enhance the heat transfer rate. The paper counter flow with the dean numbers from 38 to 350.
explains the coil geometry and pressure drop in a single phase
flow. Yang et. al [7] presented a numerical method; to study (iii) Effect of Nu Nusselt number:
the laminar convective heat transfer in a helical coil pipe Dravid et al.[2] investigated the secondary flow on laminar
having fine pitch. with the helically coiled in the fully developed and thermal
entrance region. The results are validated with experimental
V.. LOG MEAN TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE values. The Nu value given by 𝑁𝑢 = (0.65√𝐷𝑒 +
0.76)𝑃𝑟 0.175 .
Due to the difference in the temperature between two sides
heat flows between hold and cold streams. The effective
temperature distribution calculated from the heat exchangers Patankar et al[9] explained the effect caused by Dean number
θ −θ an friction factor and transfer of heat in the developing and
equation is called LMTD which is defined as ∆θ= 1 θ12 fully developed region of a helically m pipe. He has
ln
θ2
considered the velocity profiles, the temperature of the wall

Volume 7, Issue 01 Published by, www.ijert.org 2

Special Issue - 2019 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
RTICCT - 2019 Conference Proceedings

for uniform heat flux in the axial direction with the [5] G.F.C. Rogers, Y.R. Mayhew, Heat transfer and pressure loss in
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Volume 7, Issue 01 Published by, www.ijert.org 3