A novel sequential approach through structural enhancements for designing a new serrated helical heat exchanger

The current investigation examines the impact of three structural alterations on the thermal efficiency of the shell and helical tube heat exchanger. The helical tube heat exchanger modifications implemented in the initial model are changing the shell diameter, implementing baffles inside the shell domain and changing the base shape of the helical coil to an innovated serrated-shaped helical tube. All the numerical models are investigated using k-epsilon turbulence model for cold shell flow rate 2-6 kg/min which is commonly used in different industrial applications. The performance of the numerical model for the heat exchanger was validated by comparison with experimental data and previously published experimental and numerical studies, demonstrating a maximum error of approximately 2%. The study's major findings include various criteria, such as effectiveness for assessing the heat exchanger's performance. Research findings indicate how the serrated helical tube significantly enhances the performance of the helical tube heat exchanger performance around 30% compared to the conventional one. However, the U-factor of the serrated helical tube is increased by 70% compared with the conventional and 34% compared to baffled helical tube heat exchanger. The serrated helical tube heat exchanger significantly improves performance.