Flow and heat transfer in serpentine channels

Abstract

Serpentine channels are often used in microchannel reactors and heat exchangers. These channels offer better mixing, higher heat and mass‐transfer coefficients than straight channels. In the present work, flow and heat transfer experiments were carried out with a serpentine channel plate comprising of 10 units (single unit dimensions: 1 × 1.5 mm2 in cross section, length 46.28 mm, Dh 1.2 mm) in series. Pressure drop and heat‐transfer coefficients were experimentally measured. Flow and heat transfer in the experimental set‐up were simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to understand the mechanisms responsible for performance enhancement. The CFD methodology, thus, developed was applied to understand the effect of various geometrical parameters on heat transfer enhancement. A criterion was defined for evaluation of heat transfer performance (heat transfer per unit pumping power), thus, ensuring due considerations to required pumping power. The effect of geometrical parameters and the corresponding mechanisms contributing for enhancement are discussed briefly. Based on the results, a design map comprising different serpentine channels showing heat transfer enhancement with pumping power was developed for Reynolds number of 200 which will be useful for further work on flow and heat transfer in serpentine channels. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1814–1827, 2013

CRE for MAGIC (modular, agile, intensified & continuous) processes

“…In this method, variety of channel trajectories has been used for enhancing mixing and transport rates. These include helical coils, spiral channels, lamellar trajectories, inverted coils and so on (see [69][70] and references cited therein). The other method is to use channel of varying cross-sectional shape along the length.…”

Local investigations on the gas-liquid mass transfer around Taylor bubbles flowing in a meandering millimetric square channel

“…Indeed, contrary to the case in a straight channel, the occurrence of curvatures (or bends) generates flow instabilities and secondary flows (Dean vortices) in fluid motion (Dean, 1928), where the mixing between the core fluid and near-wall fluid can be improved; the boundary layers are also disrupted and thinned, thus affecting positively heat and mass transfer phenomena. Most of the existed literature dealing with such type of meandering channels focus on the study of single liquid phase flows, reactive or not (Xiong and Chung, 2007;Anxionnaz-Minvielle et al, 2013;Karale et al, 2013;Dai et al, 2015a). Few attention has been surprisingly paid on the implementation of gas-liquid systems in meandering channels, whereas: (i) the gas-liquid systems occupy a key place in scientific research and industrial application fields (hydrogenations, sensitized photo-oxygenations, fluorinations, biochemical reactions); (ii) there still raises many fundamental questions (coupling between transport phenomena and kinetics); (iii) studies in straight micro-or millimetric channels are the object of an abundant literature (van Baten and Krishna, 2004;Roudet et al, 2011;Yao et al, 2014;Haghnegahdar et al, 2016;Haase et al, 2016;Butler et al, 2016).…”

Performance of serpentine channel based Li‐ion battery thermal management system: An experimental investigation

“…This would then significantly improve the heat transfer of the serpentine channel configuration compared to that of the straight pipe. 47 In this study, this channel was used to provide cooling for a small battery module of 1.656 kWh. Test results of the highest temperatures were within appropriate operating limits for Li-ion cells with the highest temperatures being less than or equal to 40 C and 50 C for all moderate/low C-rates and 2C, respectively.…”

“…This research was conducted on a battery module of 200 Li‐Ion cells that were configured in a serpentine wavy cooling channel with a thermally conductive adhesive tape being placed between all battery cells and the outer shell of the channel to attain comparably similar contact area between all battery cells and the cooling channel. The wavy channel is of the type general serpentine channel (following the classification provided by Karale et al 47 ) and has six inner minichannels with a diameter of 1 mm each. Cylindrical Li‐ion cells used in this work are of type BAK‐18650 with dimensions of 18 mm in diameter and 65 mm in height.…”