The effect of coolant flow rate on the cooling efficiency of a finned tube

The problem of conjugate heat transfer in a radiator cooling element is solved by numerical methods. The study solves the problem of the motion of continuous media, which is described by the system of the Navier–Stokes equations and the heat transfer equation. These equations are numerically integrated by the control volume method within the OpenFOAM open-source computational platform. The optimal number of grid elements was determined through grid convergence analysis. The obtained results enable the assessment of fluid heating along the channel length and the temperature gradient between the tube wall and the surrounding air. The data obtained for various flow rates of the working fluid inside the finned tube were analyzed, and recommendations for use are given.