Strategy for Innovation in Heat Exchanger Design: Computational Approach Combined With Experimental Tests Leads to Performance Improvement

The paper describes the novel design strategy adopted by LU-VE Contardo (a major European manufacturer of air condenser, evaporators and liquid coolers) for the selection of the finned coil geometry, in both the development and the innovation processes of new products. The search of the optimal shape of the louvered fins used in modern, state-of-the-art heat exchangers requires an in-depth analysis of the flow regime crossing the fins and of the interactions between the velocity and the temperature field, nowadays possible by using Computational Fluid Dynamics. The numerical approach, when properly managed and integrated with the experimental activity for validating the results, provides an essential support for a rationale selection of the de-sign features of advanced heat exchangers. The presented results demonstrate how the adopted design strategy was successful in achieving a substantial enhancement of the heat transfer characteristics of the fins. Indeed, as demonstrated by the experimental campaign, when these novel, optimized fin shapes are applied to the design of the new series of industrial evaporators, they yield considerable results in terms of increase of the evaporator’s capacity.