Experimental and numerical investigation on shell-and-tube exhaust gas recirculation cooler with different tube bundles

• Published in: Heat and mass transfer Vol. 56; no. 2; pp. 601 - 615
• Main Authors: Liu, Lin, Shen, Tong, Zhang, Lin, Peng, Hao, Zhang, Suolong, Xu, Weigang, Bo, Shi, Qu, Songzheng, Ni, Xiaomeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.02.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Baffles; Bundles; Computer simulation; Coolers; Engineering; Engineering Thermodynamics; Exhaust gases; Heat and Mass Transfer; Heat transfer; Heat transfer coefficients; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Original; Pressure drop; Thermodynamics; Trucking industry; Tubes
• ISSN: 0947-7411; 1432-1181
• DOI: 10.1007/s00231-019-02721-y

The heat transfer characteristics of shell-and-tube exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers with different tube bundles were studied by experiment and numerical simulation. The overall heat transfer coefficient and shell-side pressure drop were determined. The influences of tube spacing, baffle form, baffle arrangement and number on the overall heat transfer coefficient and shell-side pressure drop were investigated. The maximum differences between the numerical and experimental results are approximately 4.1% for overall heat transfer coefficient and 3.3% for shell-side pressure drop, respectively. The results indicate that the overall heat transfer coefficient of EGR cooler with wave fin arrays internally finned tubes is 1.3~1.7 times than that of EGR cooler with longitudinal plate-rectangle internally finned tubes. And the comprehensive heat performance is more reasonable when tube spacing and baffle number are equal to 12 mm and 9, respectively. It is confirmed that the trisection ellipse helical baffle is superior to the segmental baffle, but the influence of improving overall thermal performance by setting baffles is limited for small EGR cooler.