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CFD simulations of plate-fin cross-counter flow compact heat exchanger

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Abstract

Energy recovery ventilation plays a crucial role in providing fresh air and managing respiratory diseases, such as COVID-19. This study focuses on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of a compact heat exchanger within a heat recovery ventilator and discusses the findings. However, conducting such an analysis is challenging due to the complex nature of the desired modules, which include intricate fin geometry and the combination of crossflow and counterflow regions in a compact heat exchanger, requiring extensive computational resources. To overcome these limitations, the entire model is treated as a computable unit cell, and the complex calculations involving crossflow and counterflow are simplified by summing individual simulations for each flow type. Furthermore, the detailed numerical modeling method is compared with experimental results, demonstrating the utility of the proposed CFD modeling approach for analyzing plate–fin compact heat exchangers.

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Abbreviations

c :

Cold

C :

Heat capacity rate

h :

Hot

i :

Inlet

min :

Minimum

o :

Outlet

q :

Heat transfer rate

t, T :

Temperature

ε :

Effectiveness

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Acknowledgments

The support of the Jeonnam Province and Jeonnam Techno Park in South Korea for one-stop support project of material parts root industry is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronic, Telecommunications, Mechanical, and Automotive Engineering, Inje University, 197 Inje-Ro, Gimhae-Si, Gyeongsangnam-Do, 50834, Korea

    Won-Seok Kim

  2. Viettel Aerospace Institute, No.01 Tran Huu Duc Street, My Dinh 2 Ward, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Pham Truong Thang

  3. High Safety Vehicle Core Technology Research Center, Inje University, 197 Inje-Ro, Gimhae-Si, Gyeongsangnam-Do, 50834, Korea

    Beom-Keun Kim

Authors
  1. Won-Seok Kim
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  2. Pham Truong Thang
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  3. Beom-Keun Kim
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Correspondence to Won-Seok Kim.

Additional information

Won-Seok Kim is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Electronic, Telecommunications, Mechanical, and Automotive Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Manchester. His research interests include mixed convection, heat transfer, turbulence, computational fluid dynamics.

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Kim, WS., Thang, P.T. & Kim, BK. CFD simulations of plate-fin cross-counter flow compact heat exchanger. J Mech Sci Technol 38, 969–978 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-024-0141-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-024-0141-x

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