Paper Contents
Abstract
This study presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation into the thermal and hydraulic performance of a compact heat exchanger integrated with various fin geometries and titanium dioxide (TiO) nanofluid as the working medium. The primary objective is to analyze the influence of fin shape and nanoparticle concentration on parameters such as Nusselt number, pressure drop, and overall heat transfer coefficient. Fin configurations examined include straight fins, wavy fins, offset strip fins, and louvered fins. The CFD simulations are performed under turbulent flow conditions using the Realizable k- turbulence model. TiO nanoparticles are added to a water-based base fluid at different volume concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 2.0%. The results show that the inclusion of nanofluid significantly enhances the convective heat transfer performance, while optimized fin geometry further improves thermal effectiveness. However, an increase in nanoparticle concentration and complex fin shapes also leads to a noticeable rise in pressure drop. This research offers insights into the optimal balance between thermal enhancement and hydraulic penalty, providing useful guidance for designing high-efficiency compact heat exchangers.
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 Md. Abdul Rahman. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
