Journal of Technology in Aerospace Engineering

Journal of Technology in Aerospace Engineering

Investigating the Impact of Turbulators and Impinging Jets on Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop in Annular Heat Exchangers

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Mahdi Pirkhandan Laskookelayeh 1
Hossein Rezaei Haghighi Miande, 2
1 Aerospace Engineering, Aerial Structures, Faculty of Mechanics, Ahrar University, Rasht ,Iran
2 Aerospace Engineering ,Faculty of Aerospace, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
10.22034/jtae.2025.9.4.4
Abstract
This study examines the effects of helical turbulators and impinging jet cooling systems on heat transfer performance and pressure drop in annular heat exchangers. Key design variables-including blockage ratio, helix angle, and turbulator geometry-were evaluated. Computational simulations using STAR-CCM+ software were employed to validate the results against experimental benchmarks. The findings demonstrate that increasing the blockage ratio and decreasing the pitch notably improve the Nusselt number, albeit at the cost of a higher pressure drop. Square turbulators achieved an average 15% higher Nusselt number than circular ones but incurred approximately 20% greater pressure losses. The influence of impinging jet cooling was further investigated across two distinct geometries, revealing that jet configuration and crossflow interactions significantly affect thermal performance. Among the configurations, Sample B-with a greater number of jets and a more uniform heat transfer distribution (evidenced by a 10% lower temperature standard deviation)-exhibited superior cooling characteristics relative to Sample A. These findings underscore the critical role of impinging-jet integration in enhancing heat exchanger performance by elevating heat transfer rates and controlling pressure drop. Moreover, results confirm that combining square turbulators with impinging jets can substantially improve exchanger efficiency in industrial systems. The outcomes offer practical insights for developing energy-efficient heat exchangers with reduced operational costs and extended service life. The study also identifies opportunities for future investigations into hybrid cooling strategies incorporating advanced materials and structural modifications for high-temperature thermal applications.
Keywords
Heat Exchangers
Heat Transfer
Numerical Simulation
Pressure Drop
Helical Turbulators
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 23 November 2024
  • Revise Date 30 March 2025
  • Accept Date 20 April 2025
  • First Publish Date 07 May 2025