Numerical Study on Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Characteristics of Water Cooled Mini-Channel Heat Exchangers

A numerical investigation of the thermal-hydraulic performance of mini-channel heat exchangers with different fin configurations is presented.  Results in terms of pressure drop, base temperature, thermal resistance, and overall heat transfer coefficient were compared for different fin spacing, fin thickness and fin height.  In comparison to un-finned geometry, a reduction of 44.8% in base temperature was observed with pressure drop and thermal resistance reductions of 46.5% and 30.4%, respectively. The heat exchanger geometry with the best thermal performance was also simulated for higher heat fluxes within the same operating limits. Results were validated using available correlations and experimental data.