Recycle effect on heat transfer enhancement in double-pass parallel-plate heat exchangers under asymmetric wall fluxes

A new design of conjugated heat transfer in double-pass parallel-plate laminar countercurrent operations subjected to asymmetric wall heat fluxes has been investigated theoretically, and the analytical results obtained with superposition model which introduces the an eigenfunction expansion in terms of power series for the homogeneous part and an asymptotic solution for the inhomogeneous part. The influences of the design parameters, the impermeable-sheet position (Delta), and the operating parameters, the mass-transfer Graetz number (Gz), wall heat flux ratio (Q(r)) and recycle ratio (R), are examined. The results are represented graphically and compared with those in a single-pass parallel-plate heat exchanger (without inserting an impermeable sheet). Considerable improvement in heat transfer is obtainable by employing such a recyclic double-pass device, instead of using the single-pass one. A technical feasibility of the new double-pass device was investigated in terms of the Nusselt number and device performance improvement under the effect of variable ratio of heat fluxes on both sides. It concluded that a substantial heat-transfer efficiency improvement is achieved by employing such a recyclic device with suitable elections of impermeable-sheet position and recycle ratio. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.