A novel wavy chevron design for plate heat exchangers: experimental and numerical analysis

Plate heat exchangers (PHEs) are widely used in multiple industries and applications ranging from refrigeration to paper, oil and gas, chemical and power industries. In the current study, a novel wavy pattern design is introduced for chevron-type PHEs in order to improve the overall performance of the heat exchanger. The new plate design is manufactured and tested within an experimental test rig. A numerical heat transfer model is also developed to analyze variations of the heat exchanger pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient. Hydraulic and thermal performance of the new plate pattern is investigated using the numerical model and experimental test rig. The effects of the proposed plate pattern on the thermal efficiency and pressure drop of the PHE are compared with those of a conventional plate pattern. Experimental and numerical results confirm that the heat transfer rate is virtually constant in the new designed PHE, while the pressure drop decreases remarkably. Consequently, the performance of the developed wavy chevron pattern is increased by about 10-15% in comparison with conventional chevron patterns.