Model & approach
- Simulate representative tube-and-fin regions in detail
- Derive a direction- and operating-dependent surrogate for the complete plant model
Project study
Pressure-loss model for an industrial finned-tube heat exchanger
A reduced-order CFD approach translated the complex tube-and-fin structure of an industrial heat exchanger into a defensible resistance model for the plant-level network.
Engineering question
Resolving every fine feature was impractical at plant scale, yet its pressure loss could not be replaced by an unsupported global assumption.
Boundary conditions
- Hot gas flow through repeated tube and fin geometry
- Several operating states and relevant approach directions
Results of the assessment
- The reduced model retained the governing resistance behaviour without resolving every fine feature globally.
- Local vortices and bypass paths explained the dominant loss mechanisms.
Engineering consequence
The derived resistance description could be transferred into system models and waste-heat-path variants.
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