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ISSN Online: 2377-424X

ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-421-2

International Heat Transfer Conference 15
August, 10-15, 2014, Kyoto, Japan

Evaluation of Herringbone Wavy Fin Based Heat Exchanger for Heat Transfer Enhancement in Automobile Exhaust Energy Harvesting Systems

Get access (open in a dialog) DOI: 10.1615/IHTC15.hte.009825
pages 4185-4199

Abstract

Heat exchanger modules with thermoelectric generators are being used to harness energy from automobile exhaust gases. This paper focuses on increasing the hot side heat transfer for improved performance of the thermoelectric generators using herringbone wavy fins. The herringbone fins are used to lengthen the path of airflow allowing for greater residence time and better mixing of the flow. They also provide increased wetted surface area to achieve higher heat transfer. The flow and heat transfer behavior inside the exhaust pipe test section is modeled using commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. The thermal and flow behavior through the herringbone fins depends on geometric parameters and fin arrangement. Optimization of the herringbone fins is performed to determine the best configuration for highest heat transfer while providing least pressure drop across the pipe length. The heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics are compared to the baseline flow without any fin enhancement.