Analysis of vortex flow in fluid domain with variable cross-section and design of a new vortex generator

Abstract In order to design a new vortex generator (VG) and effectively induce and properly control the vibrations of elastic coil pipes (ECPs) in heat exchanger (HE), the effects of the fluid flow parameters, vortex element size and external flow field on vortex flows in a fluid domain with variable cross-section were analyzed. The vibration and heat transfer characteristics of the ECPs were studied based on the new VG. The numerical results show that the fluid flow parameters, vortex element size and external flow field have influence on the frequency and intensity of vortex flow. The VG designed in this paper can generate vortex flows with basically the same frequency and intensity at each branch outlet. Under the action of the new VG, the vibration amplitudes of the ECPs are significantly enhanced and the vibration uniformity is improved. Meanwhile, the new VG can increase the heat transfer coefficients of the ECPs and improve the consistency of the heat transfer performances of the ECPs.