Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882

www.elsevier.com/locate/enconman

Heat transfer enhancement in a tube with combined

conical-nozzle inserts and swirl generator
P. Promvonge *, S. Eiamsa-ard
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Chalongkrung Road,
Bangkok 10520, Thailand

Received 17 September 2005; accepted 22 March 2006

Available online 22 May 2006

Abstract

The enhancements of heat transfer characteristics in a uniform heat flux circular tube fitted with conical nozzles and
swirl generator are experimentally investigated. In this research, the conical nozzles, assumed as a turbulator/reverse flow
generator, are placed in a model pipe line through which air as working fluid is passed. Three different pitch ratios (PR) of
conical-nozzle arrangements in the test tube are introduced with PR = 2.0, 4.0 and 7.0 in each run. In addition, the snail is
also employed to provide swirling flow at the inlet of the test tube. It is found that each application of the conical nozzle
and the snail can help to increase considerably the heat transfer rate over that of the plain tube by about 278% and 206%,
respectively. The use of the conical nozzle in common with the snail leads to a maximum heat transfer rate that is up by
316%. Correlation equations for Nusselt number, friction factor and performance evaluation criteria to assess the real ben-
efits in using the turbulators and swirl generator of the enhanced tube are determined.
Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Heat transfer enhancement; Friction; Swirl flow; Re-circulation, Reverse flow; Turbulator; Conical nozzle; Snail

1. Introduction

Conventional sources of energy have been depleting at an alarming rate, which makes future sustainable
development of energy use very difficult. Thus, researches on seeking ways to reduce the size and cost of heat
exchangers have been conducted. Heat transfer enhancement technology has been developed and widely
applied to heat exchanger applications over the past decades; for example, for refrigeration, automotives, pro-
cess industry, solar water heater etc., because the reduction in overall thermal resistance can lead to a smaller
heat exchanger. To date, there have been a large number of attempts to reduce the size and costs of heat
exchangers [1–3]. In general, methods to enhance heat transfer can be divided into two groups. One is the pas-
sive method without stimulation by external power, such as a surface coating, rough surfaces, extended sur-
faces, swirl flow devices, convoluted (twisted) tube, additives for liquids and gases etc.. The other is the active

*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +66 2 3264197/7392393; fax: +66 2 3264198.
E-mail address: kkpongje@kmitl.ac.th (P. Promvonge).

0196-8904/$ - see front matter Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2006.03.034
2868 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882

Nomenclature

A heat transfer area, m2

Cp,a specific heat capacity of air, J kg1 K1
D inner diameter of test tube, m
Do outer diameter of test tube, m
f friction factor
hp heat transfer coefficient of plain tube, W m2 K1
ht heat transfer coefficient of turbulator, W m2 K1
I current, amp
k thermal conductivity of air, W m1 K1
L length of test section, m
l pitch length of conical-nozzle arrangement, m
m_ mass flow rate, kg s1
l dynamic viscosity, Ns m2
Nu Nusselt number
ge enhancement efficiency
Pr Prandtl number
DP pressure drop, Pa
PRs pitch ratio, (l/D)
Qair heat transfer rate of hot air, W
Qconv heat transfer rate of wall, W
Re Reynolds number
To temperature of outlet air, K
Ti temperature of inlet air, K
Tw local temperature of wall, K
T~ w mean temperature of wall, K
Tb mean temperature of air, K
t thickness of test tube, m
U averaged axial velocity inside test section, m s1
V voltage, V
V_ volume flow rate of hot air, m3 s1
v kinematic viscosity, m2 s1

method, which requires extra external power sources, for example, mechanical aids, swirl flow-turbulator
devices, flow-induced vibration, surface-fluid vibration, injection and suction of the fluid, jet impingement
and use of electrostatic fields.
The reverse flow device or the turbulator is widely employed in heat transfer engineering applications. The
reverse flow is sometimes called ‘‘re-circulation flow’’. The effects of reverse flow and boundary layer disrup-
tion (dissipation) are to enhance the heat transfer coefficient and momentum transfers. The reverse flow with
high turbulent flow can improve convection to the tube wall by increasing the effective axial Reynolds number,
decreasing the cross-section flow area and increasing the mean velocity and temperature gradient. It can help
to produce higher heat fluxes and momentum transfer due to the large effective driving potential force but also
higher pressure drop. The strength of the reverse flow and the reattached position are the main interest in
many heat transfer applications, such as heat exchangers, combustion chambers, gas turbine blades and elec-
tronic devices. Yakut and Sahin [4] used conical-ring turbulators placed inside the tube to produce reverse/tur-
bulent flows in each module of the conical rings. Therefore, heat transfer was improved along the tube wall. In
their experimental study, the level of the reverse flow (re-circulation flow) was generated from the separation
and reattachment of a boundary layer from different pitch lengths between the modules.
 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882 2869

In addition, the swirl flow generator is also used in augmenting heat transfer in many engineering applica-
tions. Swirl flow is extensively used in several industries to enhance the rates of heat and mass transfer equip-
ment, such as heat exchangers [5], vortex combustors, drying processes, etc. The swirl flow devices can be
classified into two kinds: one is continuous swirl flow and the other is decaying swirl flow. For continuous
swirl flow, the swirling motion persists over the whole length of the tube, for example, twisted-tape inserts
[6–8], coiled wires [9,10] and helical grooves, while for decaying swirl flow, the swirl is generated at the
entrance of the tube and decays along the flow path [11–16], for example, the radial guide vane swirl generator
and the tangential flow injection device. For decaying swirl flow, the heat transfer coefficient and the pressure
drop decrease with axial distance, while for continuous swirl flow, the heat transfer coefficient and the pressure
drop are kept constant.
The swirl flow device has been investigated by many researchers. The methods of generating swirl can be
classified into three main categories [17]. The first is tangential flow injection in which the idea is to introduce a
tangential flow and thereby induce a swirling fluid motion down the tube [5,11–15]. The second is guide vanes
swirl generators [16,18,19], which can be grouped in two types: radial guide vanes and axial guide vanes. The
last swirl generator type is the direct rotation of the tube. In the present study, the snail/swirl generator (tan-
gential flow injection) is normally fitted at the entrance of the tube. Therefore, the swirl is intense at the
entrance and decays downstream in the flow. This technique gives rise to increased tangential flow velocity,
prolonged residence time of the flow in the tube, thinning the boundary layer and enhancing the tangential
and radial turbulent fluctuation and, therefore, leads to the increase in heat transfer inside the tube [15].
In the present investigation, the heat transfer and friction characteristics in a circular tube are investigated
experimentally. The main aims of this work are: (a) to examine the heat transfer rate and the friction of the
presence of conical nozzles with different pitch ratios and of a snail entrance and (b) to evaluate the combined
influences of the conical-nozzle turbulator and the snail on the heat transfer and friction characteristics in the
tube. In the experiments, the conical nozzles are placed in a converging arrangement at three pitch ratios (PR),
defined as the ratio of pitch length to tube diameter, PR = 2.0, 4.0 and 7.0. All of the experiments are con-
ducted at the same inlet conditions with the Reynolds number (Re), based on the tube diameter, in a range
of 8000–18,000.

2. Experimental set up

2.1. Test section and apparatus

The experiments were conducted in an open loop experimental facility as shown in Fig. 1. The loop con-
sisted of a 2.2 kW blower, orifice meter to measure the flow rate and the heat transfer test section. The copper
test tube has a length of L = 1250 mm, with 47.5 mm inner diameter (D), 50.5 mm outer diameter (Do) and
1.5 mm copper tube thickness (t) as depicted in Fig. 2a and b. The tube was heated by a flexible electrical wire
continuously wounding around the tube to provide a uniform heat flux boundary condition. The electrical
output power was controlled by a variac transformer to obtain a constant heat flux along the entire length
of the test section and by keeping the current less than 3 amp. The outer surface of the test tube was well insu-
lated to minimize convective heat loss to the surroundings, and the necessary precautions were taken to pre-
vent leakages from the system. The inner and outer temperatures of the bulk air were measured at certain
points with a multi-channel temperature measurement unit in conjunction with chromel-constantan thermo-
couples as can be seen in Fig. 2a and b. Fifteen thermocouples were taped on the local wall of the tube, and the
thermocouples were placed around the tube to measure the circumferential temperature variation, which was
found to be negligible. The mean local wall temperature was determined by means of calculations based on the
readings of the chromel-constantan thermocouples.
Fig. 2a represents the conical-nozzle arrangement used in the present experiment. The conical nozzle was
made of aluminum with 47.5 mm (1.0 D) length, and its end diameters were 46 mm and 26 mm, respectively.
The conical nozzles were placed with three different pitch lengths, having l = 95 mm (PR = 2.0), l = 190 mm
(PR = 4.0) and l = 332.5 mm (PR = 7.0), for each experiment.
For some cases of test runs, a snail type swirl generator was mounted at the entrance of the heat transfer
test tube and assumed as a swirl flow generator, as seen in Fig. 2b. In this experiment, the combination of the
2870 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882

U-tube manometer Amp meter

Personal computer
Incline manometer Volt meter

Data logger Variac transformer

Pressure Pressure
tapping tapping

Thermocouple probe

Cold air
Hot air
Thermocouple probe

Pressure tapping Thermocouple probe

Blower

Inverter

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of experimental heat transfer set up.

Thermocouples Insulation
Pressure tap Pressure tap

L l

Electrical heater

(a)

(b)

Fig. 2. Test tube fitted with (a) conical-nozzle arrangement and (b) conical nozzles combined with a snail.

two phenomena, (1) the re-circulating flow from the conical-nozzle inserts and (2) the swirling flow created by
the snail, is supposed to be effective in the vicinity of the tube wall, where thermal resistance is high. Moreover,
the combined techniques are expected to provide better mixing and rotation of the fluid in this region as well
as causing increased viscous dissipation, thereby enhancing the heat transfer rate.
 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882 2871

2.2. Experimental procedure

In the apparatus set up above, the inlet bulk air at 25 °C from a 2.2 kW blower was directed through the
orifice meter and passed to the heat transfer test section. The air flow rate was measured by an orifice meter,
built according to ASME standard [20]. Manometric fluid was used in U-tube manometers with specific grav-
ity (SG.) of 0.826 to ensure reasonably accurate measurement of the low pressure drop encountered at low
Reynolds numbers. Also, the pressure drops of the heat transfer test tube and the snail were measured with
inclined U-tube manometers. The volumetric air flow rates from the blower were adjusted by varying the
motor speed through the inverter, situated before the inlet of test tube. During the experiments, the bulk
air was heated by an adjustable electrical heater wrapped along the test section. Both the inlet and outlet tem-
peratures of the bulk air from the tube were measured by multi-channel chromel-constantan thermocouples,
calibrated within ±0.2 °C deviation by thermostat before being used. It was necessary to measure the temper-
ature at 15 stations altogether on the outer surface of the heat transfer test pipe for finding the average Nusselt
number.
For each test run, it was necessary to record the data of temperature, volumetric flow rate and pressure
drop of the bulk air at steady state conditions in which the inlet air temperature was maintained at 25 °C.
The Reynolds number of the bulk air was varied from 8000–18,000. The various characteristics of the flow,
the Nusselt numbers and the Reynolds numbers were based on the average of the tube wall temperature
and the outlet air temperature. The local wall temperature, inlet and outlet air temperature, pressure drop
across the test section and air flow velocity were measured for the heat transfer of the heated tube with conical
nozzles or snail entrance. The average Nusselt numbers were calculated and discussed, where all fluid prop-
erties were determined at the overall bulk mean temperature.

2.3. Experimental uncertainty

The uncertainties of the reduced data obtained experimentally are determined. The uncertainty in the data
calculation is based on Ref. [21]. The maximum uncertainties of the non-dimensional parameters are ±5% for
Reynolds number, ±10% for Nusselt number and ±15% for friction. The uncertainty in the axial velocity mea-
surement is estimated to be less than ±7%, and the pressure has a corresponding estimated uncertainty of
±5%, whereas the uncertainty in temperature measurement at the tube wall is about ± 0.5%. The experimental
results are reproducible within these uncertainty ranges.

3. Data reduction

In the present work, air is used as the working fluid that flowed through an insulated tube providing a uni-
form heat flux. The steady state of the heat transfer rate is assumed to be equal to the heat loss rate from the
test section, which can be expressed as
Qair ¼ Qconv ð1Þ

where
Qair ¼ mC
_ p;a ðT o  T i Þ ¼ VI ð2Þ

The convection heat transfer from the test section can be written as

Qconv ¼ hAðT~ w  T b Þ ð3Þ

whereas
T b ¼ ðT o þ T i Þ=2 ð4Þ
and
X
T~ w ¼ T w =15 ð5Þ
2872 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882

where Tw is the local wall temperature and is evaluated at the outer wall surface of the inner tube. The average
wall temperatures are calculated from 15 points, lined between the inlet and the exit of the test pipe. The aver-
age heat transfer coefficient, h, and the mean Nusselt number, Nu, are estimated as follows:
_ p;a ðT o  T i Þ=AðT~ w  T b Þ
h ¼ mC ð6Þ
Nu ¼ hD=k ð7Þ
The Reynolds number is given by
Re ¼ UD=v ð8Þ
The friction factor, f, can be written as
DP
f ¼   2  ð9Þ
L
D
q U2

in which U is the mean velocity in the tube. All the thermophysical properties of the air are determined at the
overall bulk air temperature from Eq. (4).

4. Results and discussion

The experimental investigations of heat transfer in a copper tube fitted with conical-nozzle turbulators of
varying pitch ratios (PR), including a snail at the entrance, are presented. In the experiment, the snail was
placed at the entrance of the inlet pipe for generating swirl and, thus, enhancing the heat transfer rate in
the tube. The results obtained are compared with earlier published correlations of axial flow.

4.1. Confirmatory test

The present experimental results on the heat and fluid flow characteristics in a uniform heat flux tube with-
out conical-nozzle inserts and a snail type swirl generator are first reported in the form of Nusselt number and

80
Plain tube
70 Dittus and Boelter (1930)
Sieder and Tate (1936)
60
Nusselt number

50

40

30

20

10

0
8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000
Reynolds number
Fig. 3. Confirmatory test of Nusselt number of plain tube.
 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882 2873

friction factor. The results of the plain tube in the present work are compared with the previous correlations of
Dittus–Boelter and Sieder and Tate [22] for fully developed turbulent flow in circular tubes.

4.1.1. Nusselt number correlations

Correlation of Dittus–Boelter,

Nu ¼ 0:023Re4=5 Pr0:4 for Re > 1  104 ð10Þ

Correlation of Sieder and Tate,

 0:14
4=5 1=3 l
Nu ¼ 0:027Re Pr for Re > 1  104 ð11Þ
ls

4.1.2. Friction factor correlation

Correlation of Petukhov
2
f ¼ ð0:790 ln Re  1:64Þ for 3000 6 Re 6 5  106 ð12Þ

Figs. 3 and 4 show comparisons between the present experimental work and earlier correlations from the pre-
vious work. In the figures, the results of the present work agree reasonably well with the available correlations
within ±10% in comparison with Petukhov for the friction factor and within ±15% in comparison with
Dittus–Boelter and Sieder and Tate correlations for the Nusselt number. The present results are correlated
with the Nusselt number and friction factor for the plain tube as follows:

Nu ¼ 0:0135Re0:85 Pr0:4 ð13Þ

0:275
f ¼ 0:423Re ð14Þ

0.1
Petukhov(1970)
Plain tube
0.08

0.06
Friction factor

0.04

0.02

0
8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000
Reynolds number
Fig. 4. Confirmatory test of friction factor of plain tube.
2874 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882

160
Plain tube
C-nozzle, PR=2.0
140
C-nozzle, PR=4.0
C-nozzle, PR=7.0
120

Nusselt number 100

80

60

40

20

0
8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000
Reynolds number
Fig. 5. Variation of Nusselt number with Reynolds number for different pitch ratios.

4.2. Effect of conical-nozzle pitch ratio

The experimental results obtained under turbulent flow conditions for three different pitch ratios of placing
conical nozzles alone in a uniform heat flux tube are shown in Fig. 5. In the figure, the Nusselt numbers were
related as a function of Reynolds number using the mass averaged velocity in the preliminary calculations. The
results obtained for axial flow (plain tube) are also plotted for comparison. It is seen that the effect of applying
conical nozzles on the heat transfer rate is significant for all Reynolds numbers used due to the induction of
high reverse flow (turbulence) and thin boundary layer. This technique results in an improvement of the heat
transfer rate over that of the plain tube. The Nusselt number increases with increasing Reynolds number. In all
cases of conical-nozzle inserts, the reverse flow gives higher values of Nusselt number than that for fully devel-
oped axial flow. The value of Nusselt number increases with the decrease in the conical-nozzle pitch ratio. The
mean Nusselt number of using the nozzle increases at about 257% over that of the plain tube. The increase in
heat transfer rate with reducing pitch ratio is due to the higher turbulence intensity imparted to the flow
between the conical nozzles. For the lowest pitch ratio (PR = 2.0), the increase in heat transfer rate is in
the range of 255–300% over that of the plain tube for the Reynolds numbers ranging from 8000 to 18,000.
This increase was found to be approximately 257% and 236% for the pitch ratios PR = 4.0 and 7.0, respec-
tively. Although a similar trend is found for using the conical nozzle with PR = 2.0, this improvement is 5–
10% higher than those with the conical nozzle with pitch ratio PR = 4.0 and 10–18% higher for PR = 7.0. This
may be attributed to a better mixing of the fluid between the core region and the tube surface area from the
turbulent fluctuation flow and the appearance of reverse flow between the conical-nozzle elements, leading to
higher temperature gradients.
The variation of the pressure drop in terms of friction factor across the test section as a function of
Reynolds number for three different pitch ratios is presented in Fig. 6. The friction factor of axial flow (plain
tube) is also plotted for comparison. It can be seen that the friction factors obtained from the three different
pitch ratios are in a similar trend and decrease with increasing Reynolds number and pitch ratio. The increase
in friction factor with reverse/turbulent flow, in general, is much higher than that with axial flow. This is
because of the dissipation of the dynamic pressure of the fluid due to higher surface area and the action caused
by the reverse flow. Moreover, the pressure drop has a high possibility of occurring by the interaction of the
 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882 2875

7
Plain tube
C-nozzle, PR=2.0
6 C-nozzle, PR=4.0
C-nozzle, PR=7.0

5
Friction factor

0
8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000
Reynolds number
Fig. 6. Variation of friction factor with Reynolds number for different pitch ratios.

pressure forces with inertial forces in the boundary layer. It is seen from the figure that there is much reduction
in the friction factor for using PR = 4.0 and 7.0, and there is a considerable increase in the friction factor for
the lower PR, especially at PR = 2.0. The friction factor tends to decrease with higher Reynolds number and
higher pitch ratio values.
The results of the Nusselt number and friction factor for conical-nozzle turbulators with three different
pitch ratios are correlated as follows:
 0:18
1
Nu ¼ 0:174Re0:71 Pr0:4 ð15Þ
D
 0:4
0:29 1
f ¼ 59Re ð16Þ
D

4.3. Effect of snail entrance

The influence of applying the snail at the entrance on the average Nusselt number in a circular tube is
shown in Fig. 7. It is found that the use of the snail entrance alone leads to a higher heat transfer rate than
that the corresponding plain tube. The increase in heat transfer with increasing Reynolds number is due to the
higher swirl intensity imparted to the flow at the tube inlet. It can be attributed to the use of the snail to cause
the swirl and pressure gradient in the radial direction. The thermal boundary layer along the tube wall would
be thinner [23] with the increase of radial turbulent fluctuation [24] and pressure resulting in better heat flow
through the fluid. Furthermore, the swirl enhances the flow turbulence intensity, leading to even better con-
vection heat transfer than the axial flow of the plain tube. Thus, the higher the Reynolds number is, the greater
the Nusselt number becomes. It is also seen from the figure that there is an increase of up to 206% in the heat
transfer rate compared with that of the plain tube.
Fig. 8 illustrates that the present swirl flow created by the snail entrance gives rise to a friction factor higher
than that obtained from the corresponding axial flow by about 10 times. This is because the presence of the
snail reduces the flow areas in the core, resulting in a high speed rotating flow. This leads to a substantial pres-
sure loss resulting from the action of the fluid along the tube wall, higher than that of the plain tube.
2876 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882

160
Plain tube
Snail entry
140

120

100
Nusselt number

80

60

40

20

0
8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000
Reynolds number
Fig. 7. Variation of Nusselt number with Reynolds number for the snail entrance.

4
Plain tube
Snail entry

3
Friction factor

0
8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000
Reynolds number
Fig. 8. Variation of friction factor with Reynolds number for the snail entrance.

The results of the Nusselt number and friction factor for the snail entrance alone are correlated as
Nu ¼ 0:0833Re0:74 Pr0:4 ð17Þ
0:166
f ¼ 4:24Re ð18Þ
 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882 2877

4.4. Combination of conical nozzles and snail entrance

The effect of using the conical-nozzle turbulator in conjunction with a snail on the heat transfer character-
istic is depicted in Fig. 9. A combination of the conical nozzles and the snail is proposed as a means of enhanc-
ing heat transfer by both reverse flow and swirl flow in a circular tube. The heat transfer is increased
remarkably if (1) the conical nozzle is used with the snail placed at the tube inlet and (2) the turbulator
has the smallest pitch ratio (PR = 2.0). In addition, the tube fitted with the turbulator can promote a higher
heat transfer rate than the tube with a snail entrance by around 35%, 25% and 14.5% for PR = 2.0, 4.0 and 7.0,
respectively. From the experimental results, it can be seen that the use of conical nozzles together with a snail
yields higher heat transfer rates than that without the snail, which can be attributed to better mixing between
the two flow phenomena: (1) the reverse flow from the conical nozzle and (2) the swirling flow from the snail.
In general, the average Nusselt numbers for employing the conical nozzles combined with the snail are found
to be 13.6%, 14% and 14.4% higher than for the tube with conical nozzles alone or to be about 53%, 42% and
31% higher than for the tube with snail entrance for PR = 2.0, 4.0 and 7.0, respectively. The corresponding
increase in Nusselt number for both the turbulator and the snail is about 316% above that of the plain tube.
The effect of using the conical-nozzle turbulator in common with the snail entrance on the total pressure
drop, which includes the pressure drop in the test pipe and in the snail, is presented in Fig. 10. In this case,
the nozzles are used as a reverse flow generator (turbulent), while the snail is a swirl flow generator. In the
figure, the average increase in pressure loss of employing the nozzle and the snail is about 71 times that of
the plain tube. The loss mainly comes from (1) the higher friction of increasing the surface area because of
the presence of the nozzles and (2) the dissipation of the dynamic pressure of the air due to higher viscous
losses near the pipe wall and to the extra forces exerted by the rotation. Moreover, the increase in pressure
drop is probably due to the secondary flows occurring as a result of the interaction of the pressure forces with
inertial forces in the boundary layer. It can be seen that the increase in pressure drop of using both the nozzle
and the snail is up to 7% over that of the tube with the nozzles alone.
The results of the Nusselt number and friction factor for using the conical nozzles and the snail entrance are
correlated as follows:

220
Plain tube
200 Snail entry
C-nozzle and Snail, PR=2.0
180 C-nozzle and Snail, PR=4.0
C-nozzle and Snail, PR=7.0
160 C-nozzle, PR=2.0
C-nozzle, PR=4.0
140 C-nozzle, PR=7.0
Nusselt number

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000
Reynolds number
Fig. 9. Variation of Nusselt number with Reynolds number using combined conical-nozzle inserts and the snail entrance at different pitch
ratios.
2878 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882

10
Plain tube
9 Snail entry
C-nozzle and Snail, PR=2.0
8 C-nozzle and Snail, PR=4.0
C-nozzle and Snail, PR=7.0
7 C-nozzle, PR=2.0
Friction factor C-nozzle, PR=4.0
6 C-nozzle, PR=7.0

0
8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000
Reynolds number
Fig. 10. Variation of friction factor with Reynolds number using combined conical-nozzle inserts and the snail entrance at different pitch
ratios.

 0:12
0:736 1=3 l
Nu ¼ 0:143Re Pr ð19Þ
D
 0:22
l
f ¼ 29Re0:197 ð20Þ
D

4.5. Performance evaluation

A useful comparison between reverse/swirl (tube with enhanced devices) and axial flow (plain tube) can be
made by comparing the heat transfer coefficients at equal pumping power, since this is relevant to the oper-
ation cost. For constant pumping power [25,26]
ðV_ DP Þp ¼ ðV_ DP Þt ð21Þ
and the relationship between friction and Reynolds number for both the plain tube and those with turbulators
can be expressed as
ðfRe3 Þp ¼ ðfRe3 Þt ð22Þ
The enhancement efficiency (ge) at constant pumping power is the ratio of the convective heat transfer coef-
ficient of the tube with turbulators and/or snail to that of the plain tube, which can be written as follows:

ht 
ge ¼  ð23Þ
h p pp

4.5.1. Enhancement efficiency correlations

Using Eqs. (14), (16) and (22), the Reynolds number for the plain tube (Rep) can be written as a function of
Reynolds number for the conical-nozzle turbulator (Ret):
 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882 2879

 0:147
l
Rep ¼ 6:1Re0:99
t ð24Þ
D
Employing Eqs. (13), (15), (23) and (24), the enhancement efficiency for conical nozzles can be written as
  0:055
ht  l
ge ¼  ¼ 2:8Re0:13
t
hp pp D
Similarly, for the tube with a snail entrance:

ht 
ge ¼  ¼ 3:02Re0:144
t
h p pp

in which
Rep ¼ 2:33Re1:44
t

For the tube with a snail and conical nozzles:

  0:052
ht  0:139 l
ge ¼  ¼ 2:84Ret
hp pp D
where
 0:08
l
Rep ¼ 4:7Re1:03
t
D
Fig. 11 shows the relationship between enhancement efficiency and Reynolds number at various pitch ratios
(PR). Throughout the results, it is found that the use of small pitch ratio (PR = 2.0) yields higher values of
enhancement efficiency than those of large pitch ratios (PR = 4.0 and 7.0). The enhancement efficiency varied
between 0.75 and 0.89, 0.73 and 0.86, and 0.70 and 0.83 for PR = 2.0, 4.0, and 7.0, respectively. The enhance-
ment efficiency decreases for increasing pitch ratio and Reynolds number. It can be noted that conical-nozzle

1.2
C-nozzle, PR=2.0
C-nozzle, PR=4.0
1 C-nozzle, PR=7.0
Enhancement efficiency

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
4000 8000 12000 16000 20000
Reynolds number
Fig. 11. Variation of enhancement efficiency with Reynolds number using the conical-nozzle inserts at different pitch ratios.
2880 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882

turbulators are not feasible in terms of energy saving at higher Reynolds numbers. Though the devices of
conical-nozzle inserts cause energy loss of the fluid flow, the loss value is low, especially at lower Reynolds

1.2
C-nozzle and Snail, PR=2.0
C-nozzle and Snail, PR=4.0
1 C-nozzle and Snail, PR=7.0
Enhancement efficiency

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
4000 8000 12000 16000 20000
Reynolds number
Fig. 12. Variation of enhancement efficiency with Reynolds number using combined conical nozzles at different pitch ratios and the snail
entrance.

1.2
C-nozzle, PR=2.0
C-nozzle and Snail, PR=2.0
1 Snail entry
Enhancement efficiency

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
4000 8000 12000 16000 20000
Reynolds number
Fig. 13. Variation of enhancement efficiency with Reynolds number for various enhancement devices.
 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882 2881

Table 1
Summary of enhancement efficiency for various enhancement devices
Conical nozzle PR = 2.0 PR = 4.0 PR = 7.0
Re = 5000 0.89 0.86 0.83
Re = 18,000 0.75 0.73 0.7
Snail entrance
Re = 5000 0.886
Re = 18,000 0.737
Snail and conical nozzle PR = 2.0 PR = 4.0 PR = 7.0
Re = 5000 0.84 0.81 0.79
Re = 18,000 0.7 0.68 0.66

numbers. The influence of pitch ratio on the enhancement efficiency for using the snail and conical-nozzle tur-
bulators is presented in Fig. 12. It indicates that the enhancement efficiency increases with reduction of the
pitch ratio and Reynolds number, similar to Fig. 11.
For comparison of all the enhancement devices as shown in Fig. 13, it is worth noting that the enhancement
efficiency of the conical-nozzle turbulator is slightly better than that of the snail but higher than that of both
the snail and conical nozzles. The use of conical-nozzle turbulators leads to a considerable increase in heat
transfer rate and friction factor. Despite the higher friction factor, the turbulators can be employed effectively
in places where pumping power is not significant and compact size is needed. All of the enhancement efficien-
cies with various enhancement devices are illustrated in Table 1.

5. Conclusions

Experimental investigations for using conical-nozzle inserts and snail entrance of a tube have been con-
ducted. The following conclusions can be drawn:

1. The heat transfer in the circular tube could be enhanced considerably by fitting it with conical-nozzle inserts
and snail entrance. Although they provide higher energy loss of the fluid flow; the loss is low especially at
low Reynolds number.
2. The value of the Nusselt number increases in a range of 236–278% over that of the plain tube for the con-
ical-nozzle inserts and up to 316% for using the conical nozzle and the snail entrance. However, the increase
in pressure drop is much higher than the increase in Nusselt number at the same Reynolds number.
3. The Nusselt number increases with reduction of the pitch ratio and increasing Reynolds number. The max-
imum heat transfer rates obtained from using the conical nozzles with PR = 2.0, the snail and the conical
nozzles with snail are found to be 278%, 206% and 316%, respectively.
4. The enhancement efficiency generally increases at lower Reynolds number and pitch ratio (PR). The effi-
ciency for PR = 0.2 is 2–3% and 3–6% higher than those for PR = 0.4 and 0.7, respectively. The turbulators
are applicable effectively at low Reynolds number because they provide low enhancement efficiency at high
Reynolds number for all PRs.

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge with appreciation, Prof. Kulthorn Silapabanleng for discussion and
the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) for the financial support of this research.

References

[1] Bergles AE. Techniques to augment heat transfer. In: Rosenhow WM, editor. Handbook of heat transfer applications. New
York: McGraw-Hill; 1985 [Chapter 3].
[2] Marner WJ, Bergles AE, Chenoweth JM. On the presentation of performance data for enhanced tubes used in shell and tube heat
exchangers. Trans ASME J Heat Transfer 1983;105:358–65.
2882 P. Promvonge, S. Eiamsa-ard / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 2867–2882

[3] Bergles AE, Webb RL. Guide to the literature on convection heat transfer augmentation. Adv Enhanced Heat Transfer 1985;43:81–9.
[4] Yakut K, Sahin B. Flow-induced vibration analysis of conical rings used of heat transfer enhancement in heat exchanger. Appl
Energy 2004;78(3):273–88.
[5] Kreith F, Margolis D. Heat transfer and friction in turbulent vortex flow. Appl Sci Resource 1959;8:457–73.
[6] Yildiz C, Bicer Y, Pehlivan D. Effect of twisted strips on heat transfer and pressure drop in heat exchangers. Energy Convers Manage
1998;39(3–4):331–6.
[7] Manglik RM, Bergles AE. Heat transfer and pressure drop correlations for twisted-tape inserts in isothermal tubes: Part II—
Transition and turbulent flows. Trans ASME J Heat Transfer 1992;202:99–106.
[8] Yang ZY. Enhanced condensation using twisted-tape inserts. In: 6th ASME–JSME thermal engineering joint conference. March 16–
20, 2003; Hawaii Island: USA.
[9] Eiamsa-ard S, Promvonge P. Enhancement of heat transfer in a tube with regularly-spaced helical tape swirl generators. Solar Energy
2005;78(4):483–94.
[10] Sethumadhavan R, Rao MR. Turbulent flow heat transfer and fluid friction in helical-wire-coil-inserted tubes. Int J Heat Mass
Transfer 1983;26(12):1833–45.
[11] Dhir VK, Chang F, Yu J. Enhancement of single phase forced convection heat transfer in tubes using staged tangential flow injection.
Final Report; June 1987–December 1989; GRI-90/0134; 1990.
[12] Dhir VK, Chang F. Heat transfer enhancement using tangential injection. ASHRAE Trans 1992;98:BA-92-4-1.
[13] Son G, Dhir VK. Enhancement of heat transfer in an annulus using tangential flow injection. Trans ASME J Heat Transfer
1993;246:59–66.
[14] Tung VX, Dhir VK, Chang F, Karagozian AR, Zhou F. Enhancement of forced convection heat transfer in tubes using staged
tangential flow injection. Annual Report. June 1987–September 1988; GRI report No.GRI-89/020: 1989.
[15] Durmus A, Durmus A, Esen M. Investigation of heat transfer and pressure drop in a concentric heat exchanger with snail entrance.
Appl Therm Eng 2002;22(3):321–32.
[16] Yilmaz M, Comakli O, Yapici S. Enhancement of heat transfer by turbulent decaying swirl flow. Energy Convers Manage 1999;40:
1365–76.
[17] Gupta AK, Lilley DG, Syred N. Swirl flows. Kent; England: Abaccus Press; 1984.
[18] Akiyama T, Ikeda M. Indus Eng Chem Process Des Dev. 1986;25:907.
[19] Mathur ML, Macallum NRL. J Instrum Fuel (Energy) 1967;40:214.
[20] ASME Standard. Measurement of fluid flow in pipes using orifice, nozzle and venturi. ASME MFC-3M-1984. United Engineering
Center 345 East 47th Street, New York: 1984, p. 1–56.
[21] ANSI/ASME, 1986. Measurement uncertainty, PTC 19, 1-1985. Part I.
[22] Incropera F, Dewitt PD. Introduction to heat transfer. 3rd ed. John Wiley & Sons Inc; 1996.
[23] Yajnik KS, Subbaiah MV. Experiments on swirling turbulent flows: Part I—similarity in swirling flows. J Fluid Mech 1973;60:665–87.
[24] Kitoh O. Experimental study of turbulent swirling flow in a straight pipe. J Fluid Mech 1991;225:445–79.
[25] Yakut K, Sahin B, Canbazoglu S. Performance and flow-induced vibration characteristics for conical-ring turbulators. Appl Energy
2004;79(1):65–76.
[26] Zimparov V. Extended performance evaluation criteria for enhanced heat-transfer surfaces: heat transfer through ducts with constant
heat flux. Int J Heat Mass Transfer 2001;44:169–80.