Computer simulations of fluid flow and heat transfer in pipes with internal twisted fins of triangular cross-section

The rate of heat transfer to a fluid flowing in a pipe can be greatly enhanced by the use of internal fins, but the pressure gradient must be similarly increased in order to maintain the desired flow rate. Computer simulations are a cost-effective method to obtain optimal heat transfer designs of internally finned pipes.;In this work, a control-volume finite element method was formulated, coded, and used for computer simulations of fully-developed, laminar, fluid flow and heat transfer in pipes with internal twisted fins of triangular cross-section. Values of Nusselt number and friction factor were computed for a relevant range of twist ratio, fin length, fin thickness, and Reynolds number, for a Prandtl number of 0.7. Some optimal configurations were identified. An overview of this work and the results will be presented in this thesis.