%0 Journal Article %A Sun, Yongli %A Li, Feiyang %A Zhang, Luhong %A Jiang, Bin %A Xiao, Xiaoming %D 2014 %I Begell House %K heat transfer, helical baffles, numerical simulation, quartern baffles, trisection baffles %N 8 %P 701-723 %R 10.1615/HeatTransRes.2014006816 %T NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE SHELL−SIDE PERFORMANCE OF THE TRISECTION BAFFLED AND QUARTERN BAFFLED HEAT EXCHANGERS %U https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/46784ef93dddff27,15daf2465c3413d8,6ae83a8635e58e00.html %V 45 %X In this article, the heat transfer performance and the resistance loss of a trisection baffled heat exchanger and a quartern baffled heat exchanger with 20°, 30°, 40°, and 50° helical angles are analyzed comparatively by using the commercial codes GAMBIT 6.4 and FLUENT 14.0. With the same helical angle and under the same shell side volume flow rate, both the average heat transfer coefficient and the pressure drop of the trisection baffled heat exchanger are larger than those of the quartern baffled heat exchanger because of the longer helical line in the former. However, the heat transfer coefficient per pressure drop of the trisection baffled heat exchanger is lower than that of the quartern baffled heat exchanger. So the comprehensive performance of the quartern baffled heat exchanger is better than that of the trisection baffled heat exchanger. It is also observed that the comprehensive performance of a quartern baffled heat exchanger with the 40° helical angle is the best. A series of simulations on the trisection baffled heat exchanger and the quartern baffled heat exchanger with the same helical pitch are also carried out, with the simulation results demonstrating that with the same helical line, the outlet temperature and the pressure drop of the trisection baffled heat exchanger are similar to those of the quartern baffled heat exchanger. According to two simulation results for the former we can conclude that the major influencing factor on the heat transfer performance and resistance loss in a helically baffled heat exchanger is the helical line. The research achievement of heat transfer and flow distribution in this investigation will provide theoretical basis for further optimization of the helically baffled heat exchanger. %8 2014-07-31