Numerical simulation of active enhancement of condensation heat transfer by pulsating flow in JAG-type corrugated plate heat exchangers

Based on structural optimization of JAG-type corrugated plates and active heat transfer enhancement via pulsating flow, this study conducts a numerical simulation of shell-side condensation heat transfer in JAG-type plate and shell heat exchangers under pulsating flow conditions. The flow and heat transfer performance of the condensation process were studied by changing the frequency (10Hz∼30Hz) and amplitude (0.1∼0.3) of the pulsating flow, and the irreversibility of the heat transfer process was analyzed in combination with the entransy dissipation theory. The results demonstrate that pulsating flow technology can effectively disrupt the continuity of the liquid film in steady-state flow through periodic velocity perturbations, thereby enhancing turbulent mixing at the phase change interface and achieving a balance between heat transfer enhancement and reduced heat transfer capacity loss. Both the condensation heat transfer coefficient and the two-phase frictional pressure drop increase with higher pulsating flow frequencies and amplitudes. However, the overall heat transfer performance exhibits a decreasing trend as the pulsating flow parameters increase, indicating the existence of an optimal parameter range. Furthermore, entransy dissipation analysis confirms that the application of pulsating flow contributes to reducing irreversibility during the condensation heat transfer process.