Numerical Simulation of Laminar Flow and Heat Transfer in Elliptic Tube Banks

Numerical simulations have been made on in-line elliptic tube banks at low Reynolds numbers. Details of the flow and heat transfer characteristics in the tube banks are clarified for the fully developed flow state under the condition of uniform heat flux. The pressure loss coefficient, the local and mean heat transfer coefficients are presented along with the flow and temperature fields. The effects of the longitudinal and transversal pitch ratios and the axis ratio upon them are made claer. It is found that an increase of the longitudinal pitch results in an increase of the pressure loss and the heat transfer. On the other hand, an increase of the transversal pitch causes a decrease of them, especially the pressure loss. The axis ratio greatly effects these characteristics. These results suggest that an appropriate arrangement of the elliptic tube may enhance the heat transfer performance of the tube bank.