Local entropy generation rate through convective heat transfer in tubes with wire coil inserts

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present a numerical analysis of the flow and heat transfer in a tube with a wire coil insert. A second law analysis of the results is accounted for, in order to assess the local and overall entropy generation in relation with the increased pressure drop and convective heat transfer. A wire coil with p/D = 1.25 and e/D = 0.076 is selected as insert device. A Reynolds number range between 100 and 1,000 is investigated, which corresponds to the typical operating regimes in the risers of liquid solar collectors. Different wall heat fluxes and inclination angles allow to analyze the potential impact of mixed convection in the presence of tube inserts. Design/methodology/approach - Three-dimensional numerical simulations are performed using a finite-volume solver, assuming laminar flow conditions. Pure water and a mixture of water and propyleneglycol (20 percent) are used as working fluids, with temperature-dependent properties. Fanning friction factor, Nusselt number and local entropy generation results are obtained in the fully developed region. Findings - The friction factor results are successfully compared with a well-known experimental correlation for wire coil inserts. The earlier onset of transition is devised at Re > 300. Nusselt number augmentations between 2.5- and 6-fold are reported with respect to the smooth tube. The mixed convection regime encountered in the smooth tube for the operating conditions investigated is canceled in the wire coiled tube, owing to the opposed effect of the swirl flow induced and the bouyancy forces. Frictional, heat transfer and overall entropy generation rates are computed locally in the fully developed region, allowing to relate these results with the flow structures in the mixed convection smooth tube and in the wire coiled tube. A threefold decrease in the entropy generation rate is reported for tubes with wire coil inserts. Originality/value - An holistic understanding of the heat transfer enhancement in tubes with wire coil inserts is provided through the analysis of the flow pattern, Fanning friction factor, Nusselt number and local entropy generation rates. The reduced entropy generation in the enhanced tube serves as a performance criteria to confirm the positive effect of wire coil inserts in heat transfer for the operating regime under investigation, in spite of the increased pressure drop.