Heat Transfer and Flow Resistance Characteristics of Louver Fin Geometry for Automobile Applications

The present work was conducted to investigate the air-side pressure drop and heat transfer performance of the louver fin-tube heat exchanger for automobile applications. Fourteen kinds of louver fin geometries with different louver pitches and angles were tested in the present work. The f and j factors for plane and louver fin configurations were compared experimentally and numerically. The heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of the plane fin showed the combined mode of the developing flow on a flat plate and the fully developed flow in the rectangular channel. The heat transfer coefficient of the louver fin was about twice as high as that of the plane fin. Empirical correlations proposed by previous researchers were compared with the present experimental data. Correlations of j and f factors were proposed for the present experimental data. The j and f factors were simply expressed as functions of the average louver pitch, fin pitch, louver angle, and Reynolds number based on the louver pitch. The present correlations of the heat transfer and pressure drop agreed well with the experimental data.