Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop

Characteristics of Laminar Flow in a Circular

Tube Fitted with Regularly Spaced
Twisted-Tape Elements
S. K. S a h a IILaminar flow heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics in a circular
Research Scholar tube fitted with regularly spaced twisted-tape elements connected by thin cir-
U. N. Gaitonde cular rods were investigated experimentally. These characteristics are gov-
Associate Professor erned by Reynolds number, Prandtl number, twist ratio, space ratio, and rod-
A. W. Date to-tube diameter ratio. Correlations for friction factor and Nusselt number are
Professor also reported. It is shown that on the basis of both constant pumping power
Mechanical Engineering Department, and constant heat duty, regularly spaced twisted-tape elements perform signifi-
Indian Institute of Technology, cantly better than full-length twisted tapes at high Reynolds numbers, high
Powai, Bombay, India twists, and small spacings.

Keywords: laminar flow, circular tube, twisted tapes

INTRODUCTION without seriously impairing the heat transfer augmentation

rates.
Among the many techniques (both passive and active) investi- Laminar flow results of experimental investigations carried
gated for augmentation of heat transfer rates inside circular out with water as the working fluid are reported. Heat transfer
tubes, full-length twisted-tape inserts that impart a helical path data were obtained in an electrically heated test section giving
to the flow have been shown to be very effective, particularly an axially and circumferentially constant wall heat flux.
when laminar flow of high Prandtl number fluids is considered Experiments were conducted over the following ranges of
[1]. Figure la shows the layout of a full-length twisted-tape independent parameters:
insert inside a circular tube. The experimental work of Hong
and Bergles [2], du Plessis [3], and Sukhatme et al. [4] and the Reynolds number 500 <( Re/ <( 2300
numerical work of Date [5] have shown that in the case of high Twist ratio 3.18 _< y < 0o
Prandfl number fluids in laminar flow the heat transfer rate Space ratio 2.5 _< s < 10
increases considerably for a moderate increase in pressure Phase angle q5 = 0*
drop. A recent survey by Nandekaunar and Masliyah [6] Prandtl number 4 < Pr < 5.5
reported similar characteristics for several other types of ducts Rod/tube diameter ratio:
imparting helical flow. d/Di = 3/13 (pressure drop tests)
In this paper, instead of a full-length twisted tape, twisted- d/Di = 3/11 (heat transfer tests)
tape elements connected by thin circular rods are considered.
Figure lb shows the geometry investigated. The twisted-tape
elements of length H (pitch length for 180" rotation of the EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
tape) are followed by a free space of length S, where the
nonaxisymmetric swirl flow generated by the tape element The experiments were performed in an open-loop experimental
decays, only to be again augmented by the tape element that facility as shown in Fig. 2. The loop consisted of a centrifugal
follows. The phase angle between successive tape elements is pump (0.5 lap), an overhead tank (0.25 m 3 capacity located at
0". The direction of twist imparted to each successive element an elevation of 2.75 m), three rotameters (glass with 316 SS
is also the same. Both the phase angle and the direction of twist floats having ranges 0.00175-0.0175 kg/s, 0.0115-0.115 kg/s,
are parameters that are outside the scope of this paper. Also the and 0.07-0.7 kg/s) to cover the laminar and turbulent flow
fm effect of the tape elements is deh'berately suppressed. The range, a calming section (1.8 m long, 13 mm I.D., 20 mm
fin geometry considered here thus imparts a periodicity to the O.D. PVC tube), the test section (details follow), an insulated
helical flow. The objective of providing free spaces between mixing section (13 mm I.D., 20 mm O.D., 350 mm long PVC
twisted-tape elements is to examine whether the pressure drop tube with a short twisted-tape insert), and a riser section with
associated with the full-length twisted tape can be reduced 150 mm high kink.

Address correspondence to Professor-Dr. A. W. Date, Mechanical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, Bombay 400
076, India.

Experimental Thermaland Fluid Science 1989; 2:310-322

@1989 by Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc., 655 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10010 0894-1777/89/$3.50

310
 Laminar Flow in a Tube with Twisted Tapes 311

t... A TAPE
i

_12.
DIRECTION I
OF FLOW !
|

;-A - TUBE

SECTION A-A
(a)

H "-: S _ _ H __

DIRECTION OF
FLOW
rT£. - -

(b)
Figure 1. (a) Layout of a full-length twisted-tape insert inside a circular tube. (b) Geometry under
investigation.

In all the experiments, twisted tapes were made of 0.4 mm
thick stainless steel strip, the width of which was 1 mm less
than the inside diameter of the test section robe. The strips
were twisted on a lathe by manual rotation of the chuck. The
twisted strips were heated periodically by flame to relax the
stresses to prevent them from buckling and untwisting when
they were removed from the lathe. The rod ends were slotted
to receive the twisted-tape elements.
The test section for pressure drop tests comprised an acrylic
tube 1.85 m long, 13 mm I.D., and 20 mm O . D . . Pressure

~ ~ " I

• .6oo _
II0j
~o 36 200 !eoo ~84o ?so!so2 T 1
ALL DIMENSIONS IN m m

Figure 2. Experimental setup. 1, Overhead tank; 2, level indicator; 2, overflow to sump; 4, rubber
hose; 5, centrifugal pump; 6, rotameters; 7, reducer; 8, flange; 9, calming section; 10, test section;
11, exit section; 12, riser; 13, flow outlet to sump; 14, needle valve.
312 S.K. Saha et al.
Figure 3. Heat transfer test section. 1, Test tube; 2, fiberglass
tape insulation; 3, fiberglass insulated nichrome wire; 4, glass
wool blanket insulation; 5, thin G.I. cylinder; 6, asbestos rope.
taps were made of 30 mm long, 3 mm I.D., 4.5 mm O.D.
acrylic tube. Threads were cut on one end of the taps, and
drilled holes on the test section were threaded internally by '0'
BA taps. The threaded portion of each pressure tap was
covered with Teflon tape before it was inserted into a tapped
hole on the tube to prevent leakage. Additionally, rigidity of
the taps was ensured by using Araldite. In all, 16 taps were
provided, the first six being 65 mm apart and the rest 130 mm
apart. The pressure taps were connected by flexible PVC
tubing to a manometer via a header (G.I. pipe, 1.25 m long,
25.4 mm nominal diameter).
Pressure drops were measured by means of a vertical U-tube
manometer with dibutyl phthalate (sp. gr. 1.047) as the
manometric fluid. This ensured a reasonably accurate mea-
surement of the low pressure drops encountered at low
Reynolds numbers.
The heat transfer test section is shown in Fig. 3. It
comprised a 1.84 m long, 11 mm I.D., and 12 mm O.D.
stainless steel tube (304 SS). The tube was uniformly heated by
passing alternating current from a stabilized three-phase source
through 30 SWG nichrome wire having 16 ohrns/m resistance
wound around the tube. The uichrome wire was covered with
fiberglass insulation. To keep the current to less than 2 A, the
heater was made in three sections, each section having four
parallel heaters. Autotransformers were used to regulate the
heat flux supplied to the test section.
Copper (30 SWG) -constantan thermocouples were used to
measure the outside wall temperature of the tube. The
thermocouples were silver soldered and were taken first
through a peripheral groove about 5 mm long and then radially
out through the heater wire turns and the insulation that
surrounded the test section. Twenty-one thennocouples were
provided on the outside wall of the tube. The first seven were
located 10 mm, 55 mm, 100 mm, 155 mm, 210 ram, 265 mm,
and 320 mm from the point where heating started. Thereafter
the remaining thermocouples were placed 110 mm apart.
Toward the downstream end of the test section, three thermo-
couples were placed along the periphery of the tube to measure
the circumferential temperature variation, which was found to
be negligible.
Axial conduction losses were prevented by using polytetra-
fluorcethylene spacers positioned between brass flanges. The
radial heat loss was m i n i ~ by winding asbestos rope (100
mm overall diameter) and putting a glass wool blanket (50 mm
thick) around the asbestos rope. The asbestos rope was wound
ALL DIMENSION5 IN mm
on a G.I. cylinder (split in two halves) 70 mm in diameter to
protect the electrical connections. The space between the
heater wire and the G.I. cylinder was also filled with glass
wool.
The thermocouple output was measured by a 5.5 digit
Hewlett-Packard digital multimeter having a 1 pV resolution
via a 36-point selector switch. The power input was calculated
from measured values of the voltage and resistance. The
current was also measured to provide a cross-check.
The inlet and outlet water bulk temperatures were also
measured by thermocouples. The inlet bulk temperature was
measured by one thermocouple, whereas the outlet bulk
temperature was measured by means of two thermocouples
stationed 150 mm apart in the mixing section. The average of
the two readings was taken as the true bulk temperature at the
outlet. The fin effect of the tapes was suppressed by covering
the edges of the tapes with an insulating tape.
OPERATING PROCEDURE
Pressure Drop Tests
The pressure drop tests were performed in the acrylic tube.
The fully developed friction factor was defmed as
fi = ~[(APz)/PO2](Di/z) (1)
where
0 = m/pAc (2)
and APz is the pressure drop over a length z.
The pressure taps on the tube were so located that in the case
of regularly spaced twisted tapes the distance between the taps
covered either the length H of the tape element or the length H
of the tape element plus the space S between two consecutive
tape elements. Thus the development length for the periodi-
cally helical flow could be identified.
For regularly spaced twisted-tape elements, the flow was
found periodically fully developed, and the fully developed
pressure gradient was typically measured over the last three
cycles (each cycle consisting of one tape module and one space
module) to calculate the fully developed friction factor.
Before the pressure drop measurements were taken, the test
section was freed of air bubbles by venting them through the
riser section at the end of the test section. Flow was taken from
 Laminar Flow in a Tube with Twisted Tapes 313

the overhead tank where a constant water level was main- where
tained. Typically 5 min was required for settlement of flow
3.0949(0.9692 + ~r/2G) 2
after each change of mass flow rate. Pressure drops were
measured by a manometer, and mass flow rates were measured fe = Re~[(2y 2/x)(G - 1) - 0.03077] 3 (10)
by a rotameter. The rotameter was calibrated and was found to and
read accurately within :t: 3 %.
G = (4y 2 + x2)/2y (11)
Heat Transfer Tests
An additional correlation based on the numerical results of
The heat transfer tests were performed in the stainless steel Date [5] with the correction for tape thickness suggested by
tube. The length-averaged Nusselt number was defined as Shah and London [9] is

= 46.45/Re~, R e J y <_6.7 (12)

Nu'= KDi
k = (x---~-~/L)(LIo T~-Tbz,]\k] (3)
J~= 42.24/Re°'95y °'05, 6.7<Rei/y<_ 100 (13)
where
fi= 1.1 C(Rei/y)°.3/Rei, Rei/y> 100 (14)
Q= V2/ R = rnCp( Tbo- Tbs) (4)
where
In most cases, the values of Q calculated by the two methods
in Eq. (4) agreed to within 3 %. If the disagreement exceeded C=8.8201y-2.1193y2+O.2108y3-O.OO69y 4 (15)
5 %, the data were discarded. The arithmetic mean of the two
From Ref. 2,
values of Q was taken as the true value. The wall temperature
T~ at any z in Eq. (3) was directly measured, whereas Tb~was Nui= 5.172[1 +5.4838× 10 -3 Pr°'7(Res/y)l.25] 0.5 (16)
obtained by interpolation. All fluid properties were evaluated
at (Tbi + Tbo)/2. A thermal steady state was generally reached Figure 4 shows a comparison of the experimental data with
in 20-25 rain. the correlations for the plain tube and the straight tape. The
An uncertainty analysis conducted along the lines suggested correlations used for the comparison are analytical, and in Eq.
by Kline and McClintock [7] showed that the uncertainties (7) the effect of the thickness of the tapes has been accounted
involved in the friction factors were within 5 % whereas those for. Figure 5 shows that the present experimental data for the
involved in the estimation of Nusselt number were within 2 %. twisted-tape case ( y < oo) compared within +20% with the
correlation [Eq. (9)] of du Plessis [3].
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The values of z* in the present heat transfer experiments
varied between 0.02 and 0.066, and hence for the straight flow
Confirmatory Tests case the data at high Reynolds numbers can be expected to be
within the thermal development length. As such Eq. (6) for the
Before the results for the case of regularly spaced twisted tapes
plain tube and Eq. (8) for the straight tape are evaluated at z =
are reported, data are presented for those cases for which well-
L and are plotted in Fig. 6. Equation (8) was developed by du
established correlations are available. These cases are
Plessis [3] for a constant wall temperature. However, at z* <
1. Flow in a plain tube 0.035 or at large Rei this correlation can still be justifiably used
2. Flow in a tube with full-length twisted-tape inserts for the present case of constant wall heat flux. The experimen-
tal data are found to agree to within + 20%. For z* = oo the
The established correlations for these cases are as follows. limiting value of Nu,- predicted by Eq. (8) is 4.405 (constant
wall temperature), whereas that predicted by Eq. (16) is 5.172
Plain Tube (constant wall heat flux).
For the full-length twisted-tape case, the correlation of Hong
J~= 16/Rei (S)
and Bergles [2] [Eq. (16)] compares to within + 20% with the
From Ref. 8, present experimental data as shown in Fig. 7. The majority of
the present data are, however, higher than those predicted by
Nui = 4.364 + 0.2633 (z*)-°"5°6 exp(41.0z*), z*>0.0015 Eq. (16). This is to be expected because Eq. (16) represents
local values of Nu; in the fully developed region whereas the
(6) present data represent the axially averaged Nusselt numbers.
Moreover, Eq. (16) is based on the experimental data that
Straight Tape ( y = o% s = 0) From Ref. 9, range over 0.001 < z* < 0.1. This wide range of z* was
covered by using water and ethylene glycol as the working
2~= 46.45/Re~ (7) fluids, and the majority of the water data of Hong and Bergles
From Ref. 3, also lie above Eq. (16). The present experimental data show
closer agreement with the experimental results of [2] than with
Nui = 4.405 [1 + 0.0517 (Z*)- 1.°5]0-333, Z* < 0.035 (8) Eq. (16).
Thus in all well-established cases, the present experimental
Twisted Tape (y < ~,s = 0)[3] data agree reasonably well with the available correlations. The
test setup and the operating procedure were thus considered to
fi/fe = [1 + (ReJ70y 1.3) 1.5]0.333 (9) be functioning satisfactorily.
314 S.K. Saha et al.

0.20 l i I I I ! I I

• 5TRAtGHT TAPE
I o PLAIN TUBE

0.10
0.08
~ y:oo~ s=O
( eqn. 7 )

0"05

0.04

0.03

0,02

0.01
0"008 (eqn, 5 ) -J

61D i = 4 I 130
0.005

0,003 I I i i i I I I
x 102 5xlO 2 I03 3x10 3
Figure 4. Friction factor data for the plain tube and the
straight tape. Rei

3.0 I I I w I ! I I I I I I

s =0 oC/Di = 4 1 1 3 0 0
2-S

2-(

eqn. 9)
1.5
& o~ O vO/y&
8 0 ~ ..
,e,-
o v Ovl ( ¥
,e- o o o 6 A ~ -- 3.1,6

I,C 0 ~ ~ 5-0
V --7.5
O -- 10.0
0-~ |
I I I f f I I I i I I
15 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 I00 150 200 300 400
R e i / y l "3
Figure 5. Friction factor data for full-length twisted tape (s = 0).
 Laminar Flow in a Tube with Twisted Tapes 315

i I I I I I

y=a%~ s = O - - I

• ~ 0 0
/ 0 0 .

: ..... I
(eqn, 6 )

Pr~ 5
~/D i = 41110

1.5

1 l I I I l I I i Figure 6. Nusselt number data for the plain robe and the
3x 102 5x102 103 2xl, 3 straight tape.

Re i

I I I I I w I I l I I l I ! | I I | I | I I I

,°° t
:f
s=O ~ 1 0 i = 41110

A A 6A
30
-(eqn. 16) _ V A~ VA
z _ o v ° °v °A " ~ Y
20 _ ~ _ / 0 - 3.re

15

lO

I l I I a I l I i I i I I I I I I I I !

3x103 6xl0 3 10/~ 3x104 6x104 10 5 3xl0 S 7xD $

Res )1.78
Pr( T

Figure 7. Nusselt number data for full-length twisted tape (s = 0).

316 S . K . Saha et al.

32¢ I I I I I I I I i i i I i I I I

y = l O . O , s= I 0 . 0
-----PRESSURE DROP ACROSS A MODULE ./~.""
280 ..... PRESSURE DROP ACROSS A CYCLE ~O/''"
A- Rei : 995 .~'(.~"
O - Re i = 1741 J " "

240 • " • = o

.... 200
E
E
O.

,,o 160"

120

80

40

0 I I i I i I i i i i i i i I I I
0 200 400 600 80 0 !000 1200 14O0 1600
Z(mm)

Figure 8. Axial pressure drop results for a typical case o f y = 10 and s = 10.

Results for R e g u l a r l y S p a c e d T w i s t e d T a p e s is to be noted that data for s = 0 correspond to the full-length

Axial Variation of Pressure Figure 8 shows typical pres-
sure drop measurements for two different Reynolds numbers
for y = 10 and s = 10. The pressure drop data have been
plotted in millimeters of manometric fluid to demonstrate with
clarity the nature of variation of the axial pressure drop. It is
observed that the pressure varies linearly beyond a certain
axial length. For example, at Rei = 1741, the development
length is found as z = 900 ram, and at Rei = 995, z = 650
mm, or ( z / D i ) / R e i = 0.03976 and 0.05025, respectively.
These figures suggest that in the case of regularly spaced
twisted-tape elements, the development length for a given y
and s is a function of Reynolds number. For a plain tube, the
development length is 0.05D~ Re/, and Date [10] has shown
that the development length is shorter for fulMength twisted
tapes. Thus, the orders of magnitude of the development
lengths measured here are in accord with expectation. Similar
trends have also been observed at other values of y and s.
Friction Factor Results Figures 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d show
the variation of friction factor with Reynolds number for y =
10, 7.5, 5, and 3.46, respectively, and different values o f s . It
twisted tape.
For finite values of y, the friction factor increases as the
spacing between the tape elements is reduced. However, the
case of s = 0 is not necessarily a limiting case of the space
distance. This is appreciated from the fact that friction factors
for finite s can be either larger or smaller than those for the
case o f s = 0. It would normally be expected that for all s > 0,
the friction factor should be lower than that for s = 0, since the
amount of solid surface offering resistance to fluid flow is
reduced. This expectation is substantially satisfied for s = 10
for all values o f y and for s = 7.5 f o r y = 10 a n d y = 7.5.
However, for y < 5 and for s = 5 and s = 2.5, the values of
friction factor, in fact, exceed those for s = 0. This suggests
that the pressure loss associated with the momentum change
that occurs when two nonaxisymmetric velocity profiles
issuing from the twisted-tape element section mix in the
decaying swirl section is much greater than the pressure loss
that would have been encountered had the tape been present.
Also, the leading-edge losses associated with the twisted-tape
section can be considerable. Since friction factors for decaying
swirls in the entrance length are quite large, these experimental
 Laminar Flow in a Tube with Twisted Tapes 317

0.5 I 1 I a I I i
0.5 I ! I I I I !

y = 10.0 s
0.4
0.4 y: 7.5 s
6/Ds" = 41130 • - 0
~ l D i = 41130 • - O
d i d i = 3113 o - 2.5
A d l O l =3113 O - 2.5
0.3 - 5.0
0.3 A - 5.0
V 7.5
o - )0.0 V - 7.5
0 o - iO.O
0.2 o
%
0.2
~'%00 r- S : O °
'~',~ ( e q n . 13,14)
¢'4 "'¢ • 13,14)

\"
~, o~,, ° o
0,1 y:oo,$=o~
" \ ~0 V or-,
VO~ ~.^
~ A 0.1 ]\,o o
(e~.1:,) ~ o~," y:oo,s:O J ~ V
0.08

0.06 --
4xlO 2
I
7x102
i I I I
10 3
~ I.S xl03 2xl(
V?V
0 o
0.08

0,06
4xl02
i I

7x102
I I I I

103 1.5x103 2xl03

Rei Rei
(a) (b)

! ! | | ! !
0.5 I I I I I I I 0'5

y = 5-0 ¢ y= 3 . 4 6
$ S
0.4 0"4
61D i : 41130 av 0 ~>10i=41130 • - O
• - O
diDo=3113
d i D / = 3/13 - 2.5 Av 0 - 2.s
O o eo
0.3 - 5.0
0.3 • ~ 5.0
% o
V - 7.5 •, VO V - 7.5
%

O o - 10.0

0.2 0~. V 0 ,--.S =O 0.2

~.. " o/(eqn .,3,14 )
¢N
,,v al 04

0'1
y :oo, s : O ~
i\
~
o
o vo
~"
ray
%
0-1
g
0.08 0.08

0.06 0.06 I i i ! ! i I
4 xl0 2 I 7x10
I 2i I 10
i 3 51103 2x10 3
4 102 7x!02 103 1.5xl03 2xvO 3

Rei Re i
(c) (d)

Figure 9. Effect o f s on friction factor. ( a ) y = 10; ( b ) y = 7.5;

(c) y = 5; ( d ) y = 3.46.
318 S.K. Saha et al.

results can, in fact, be expected, particularly for small values fi=C~l R e z ° 7 y - ° 3 ( l +Cs), Rei/y>155 (19)
of s. For large s, where the swirl perhaps decays more
substantially, the associated momentum-change pressure loss where
does not exceed the pressure loss due to friction that would (DZhAc)~=o
have been encountered with the full-length tape. ~j - (D2hAc)~.o (20)
The above-mentioned figures show another important result.
A transitionlike variation of friction factor is observed for full- ,r n ~ y + ,r(D2i - d2)s
length twisted tapes (s = 0) for Reynolds numbers of 1300- (Dh)~=0 = (21)
(Tr + 2)YDi + Ir (Di + d ) s
1500. Although the critical Reynolds number for a plain
(TrD 2 - 4tSDi)Y + 7r(D 2 - d2)s
circular tube is about 2300, a somewhat lower critical
(Dh)~*O = (22)
Reynolds number is expected for the swirling flow in a (Tr + 2 -- 2¢3/Di)YD i + x ( D i + d ) s
noncircular duct [6]. For finite values of y, however, the 7r[D~ y + ( D E - d2)s]
transition appears to be at somewhat higher Reynolds numbers (A~)~=o= (23)
when s is large and at smaller Reynolds numbers when s is 4(y+s)
small. [(~'D2 - 46Di)Y + lr(O 2 - dZ)s]
(Ac)~o- (24)
Nusselt Number Results Figures 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d
4(y+s)
show the variation of Nui with R e i for different values of s at y and C in Eqs. (17)-(19) is as follows:
= 10, 7.5, 5.0, and 3.18, respectively. It is also seen from
these figures that s = 0 does not signify a limiting case of finite C = 0.0678 [exp( - 0.063 l y ) ] s - 0.9936 exp(0.0069y) + 1,
spacings (s > 0) between the twisted-tape elements; Nusselt 7.5_<y_< 10, s<2.5 (25)
numbers for s > 0 are found to be both greater and smaller
than those for s = 0. C = O. 1998 [exp(- 0.063 ly)] s + 0.01 ly - 0.3175,
Figures 10a and 10b show tendencies similar to those 3 . 4 6 < y < 7.5, s_<2.5 (26)
discussed in relation to the friction factor results. However, the
results for y _< 5 are worth observing. Here it is seen that C = - 0.0031 [exp(0.1649y)]s + 0.02812 exp(0.092y),
compared to the full-length twisted tape (s = 0) the Nusselt
7.5<y_< 10, 2.5<s_<5 (27)
number is greater for all values of s, whereas Fig. 9c shows a
smaller friction factor for larger values of s (s > 5) and higher C = -2.45 × 10 -5 [exp(0.1649y)]s- 3.51 × 10 -3 exp(0.092y),
Reynolds numbers. Further, the increase in heat transfer is
greater than the increase in pressure drop. The tape with y = 7.5_<y< 10, 5<s_<7.5 (28)
3.18 does not seem to perform better than the tape withy = 5 C = - 6.39 x 10 -4 [exp(0.1649y)]8 + 8.7 x 10 -3 exp(0.092y),
for any s in terms of Nusselt number. However, the friction
factor increases for s _ 5 withy = 3.46 is less than that withy 7.5_<y< 10, 7.5 <s_< 10 (29)
= 5. This observation is particularly true at higher Reynolds C = - 3.97 x lO-3ys+O.Ols+O.O18y-(7.15 × 10-3),
numbers.
Thus in laminar flow, compared to values achieved with 3.46_<y< 7.5, 2.5<s<5 (30)
full-length twisted tapes, a reduction in pressure drop with
C = - 4.05 x lO-3ys+O.Ols+O.O18y - (7.15 x 10-4),
augmentation in heat transfer is possible with regularly spaced
twisted-tape elements at smaller values of y (_< 5) and larger 3.46_<y< 7.5, 5<s_<7.5 (31)
Reynolds numbers (Rei > 1000).
C = - 2.96x lO-3ys +O.Ols +O.O18y-O.0516,
CORRELATIONS
3.46_<y< 7.5, 7.5<s_< 10 (32)
The correlations for regularly spaced twisted-tape elements
and
have been developed on the basis of those that are well
accepted for ful-length twisted tapes. Thus when s = 0 the Cl = 8.8201y - 2.1193y 2 + 0.2108y 3- 0.0069y 4 (33)
correlations for regularly spaced twisted-tape elements auto-
matically reduce to the correlations for full-length twisted The above correlations predict 94% of the experimental data
tapes. The least squares curve-fitting method has been used to within ± 20%.
develop the correlations.
Correlations for Nusselt N u m b e r
Correlations for Friction Factor
The correlations have been developed on the basis of the Hong
Correlations have been developed on the basis of those of Shah
and Bergles correlation [2]. They are valid for the following
and London [9]. They are valid for
ranges.
500_< Re~_<1550
675-< Rei_<2050, 4_<Pr_<5.5
3.46_<y_< 10, 2.5_<s_< 10
3.18 ~y-< 10, 2.5_<s~ 10
The correlations are as follows.
f/=38.4~'1ReT°'95y-°'°5(l+Cs), 6.7<Rei/y<_lO0 (17) and

)~ = 0.5(38.4~'1 Re7°.95 y-0.05 + C1 ~'1 Re/-°'°7 Y-°'3)(l + Cs), Nui= 5.172[1 +6.7482× 10 -3 Pr°'7(Kl Rei/y)L25]°'5(1 + C s ) X

1O0 < Rei/Y-< 155 (18) (34)

 Laminar Flow in a Tube with Twisted Tapes 319

,,=
~0 I I I I I ! I 8 0 ........ i I T I I I I

70 70 y= 7.5
y=, I 0 . 0 S
60 • - 0 60 Pr ,,, 5.0
Pr ~ 5.0 ~ l O i = 41110
O- 2.5
50 ~10~ = &1110 5O
d l 0 i = 3111
A- 5.0
dIDi=3/11
V - 7.5
40 40
o - I0.0
O0
O eA
3O
30 o ,Vo
25 •~ 25
Z
D
Z
20 20

15 15 ~ s
J o " ( e q n . 16 ) • - 0

10 10 f ~0 - 2.5
5"0
9 9 V - 7.5
8 8. o - I0"0
5 I I I I I I i 7 m l t e ! .,, I . I
5x102 103 1.5x!03 2x103 3x10 3 5 ~10
z~ 103 1.5 x 103 3x 103
Re i Re{
(a) (b)

801 f I l ! l I........ l I ! ! I I I

7O i 0
y = 5"0 70 y =3.18
60 Pr N 5"0 0 6(1 Pr~ 5.0 ~&V 9
&
61D i = 41110 6/Oi = 4 1 1 1 0 9
50 O v
d i D | = 3/11 Ob0 ~ • 50 d,oi= 3 , . o,O-
04 9 dD/
40 ','oO 40 V O / "

'
30 3O
l i O "Ar j . ~ S = 0

._25 ~- ZS
Z
D
,: Z

20

L (eqml 6 )
15 s 15
• - 0
$
O - 2,5
• - 0
- 5,0
I0 v - 7.5 I0 0-2.5
9 o - I0.0 9 &-5oO
V- 7.5
8 8
o- I0.0
7 I I I I I I ,, ; 7 I | I I I I I
xlO 2 103 1.5x 103 2x103 x 103 5x I0 2 103 1.5xlO3 3xlO 3
Re; Rei
(c) (d)
Figure 10. Effect o f s on Nusselt number. (a) y - 10; ( b ) y =
7.5; (c) y = 5; ( d ) y = 3.18.
320 S.K. Saha et al.

where elements. For full-length twisted tape, N u i , flt is taken at the

7rD~(y + s) Reynolds number Rei, tlt, where Rei, flt is calculated from the
Kl = OrD~ - 46Di)y + ~r(D~ - d2)s (35) constant pumping power consideration as

and Rei, flt= [(f',rst/fi, flt)(Ac, r~t/Ac, nt) R e ~ , j 1/3 (42)

where
C = 0.0112ys- O. 1233s- 0.0629y + 0.6948,
{0rD/2 - 4¢SDi)y + 7r(D~ - d2)s}
7.5_<y_< 10, 2.5_<s_<5 (36) A c , rst = (43)
4(y+s)
C = 0.00015ys- 0.00377s- 0.0056y + 0.0751,
and
7.5_<y_< 10, 5<s_<10 07)
Ac, tat= 0r/4)D~ - 6Di (44)
C = (0.057ys + 0.3622) exp [( - 0.0296y - 0.305)s],
Criterion 2 The performance ratio R2 for this criterion is
3.18_<y<7.5, 2.5_<s< 10 (38) given by
X = ( 1 - 4.0422 × 10-2s), Rei< 700 (39)
X = 1, Re:.>_700 (40) R2 = (f. Re/3 Ac)nt (45)
The correlations predict the experimental data within
For a given Reynolds number Rei,,~t, the Nusselt number
+20%.
Nui, rst is obtained from the correlation. The Reynolds number
Rei, flt corresponding to the Nusselt number Nut, rst is obtained
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION from the correlation for full-length twisted tape.
Bergles et al [11] suggested several criteria for the perform-
Tables 1 and 2 show the performance data. It is seen from
ance evaluation of enhancement devices. The performance of
Table 1 that on the basis of constant pumping power a
the present geometry has been evaluated on the basis of two
significant ( > 2 0 % ) improvement in the performance of
important criteria:
regularly spaced twisted-tape elements is possible when y <
1. Basic geometry fixed, pumping power fixed--increase heat 7.5 ands < 5. For example, R1 = 1.28 f o r y = 7.5 ands =
transfer. 2.5, whereas for y = 5 and s = 2.5, R~ = 1.47. It is also
2. Basic geometry fixed, heat duty fixed--reduce pumping observed that regularly spaced twisted-tape elements with y =
power. 3.18 do not perform better than those with y = 5.
Table 2 shows that on the basis of constant heat duty,
Here these criteria are used to evaluate the performance of considerable reduction ( > 4 0 % ) in pumping power is possible
regularly spaced twisted-tape elements with full-length twisted for regularly spaced twisted-tape elements for y < 7.5 and s
tapes of the same twist ratio y. -< 5. For example, R2 = 0.32-0.40 at y = 7.5 and s = 2.5,
whereas for y = 5 and s = 2.5, R2 = 0.22-0.25.
Criterion 1 The performance ratio R~ for this criterion is
given by
PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE
R 1 = N u i , rst (41) Full-length twisted tapes are known as attractive heat transfer
N u i , flt
devices from the point of view of the development of new
where the subscripts " r s t " and "fit" refer to regularly spaced compact heat exchangers as well as from the point of view of
twisted-tape elements data and full-length twisted-tape data, improving the performance of existing heat exchangers. The
respectively. At a given Reynolds number Rei, nt, Nui, rst is present experimental findings show that regularly spaced
obtained form the correlation for regularly spaced twisted-tape twisted-tape elements can substantially reduce the pumping

Table 1. Performance Evaluation, Criterion 1. Basic Geometry Fixed, Pumping Power Fixed--Increase Heat Transfer
Rl
y = 10 y = 7.5 y = 5 y = 3.18
s=2.5 s=5 s=7.5 s=10 s=2.5 s = 5 s=7.5 s = 1 0 s=2.5 s = 5 s = 7 . 5 s = 1 0 s=2.5 S=5 S=7.5 S=10
Rei (R0 (R1) (R0 (Rt)
679 1.08 1.05 1.04 1.00 1.28 1.13 1.12 1.09 1.47 1.31 1.16 1.11 1.44 1.34 1.17 1.09
730 1.08 1.05 1.04 1.00 1.28 1.13 1.12 1.09 1.47 1.31 1.16 1.11 1.44 1.34 1.17 1.09
953 1.08 1.05 1.04 1.00 1.28 1.13 1.12 1.09 1.47 1.31 1.16 1.11 1.44 1.34 1.17 1.09
1096 1.08 1.05 1.04 1.00 1.28 1.13 1.12 1.09 1.47 1.31 1.16 1.11 1.44 1.34 1.17 1.09
1233 1.08 1.05 1.04 1.00 1.28 1.13 1.12 1.09 1.47 1.31 1.16 1.11 1.44 1.34 1.17 1.09
1501 1.08 1.05 1.04 1.00 1.28 1.13 1.12 1.09 1.47 1.31 1.16 1.11 1.44 1.34 1.17 1.09
1857 1.08 1.05 1.04 1.00 1.28 1.13 1.12 1.09 1.47 1.31 1.16 1.11 1.44 1.34 1.17 1.09
1918 1.08 1.05 1.04 1.00 1.28 1.13 1.12 1.09 1.47 1.31 1.16 1.11 1.44 1.34 1.17 1.09
 Laminar Flow in a Tube with Twisted Tapes 321

Table 2. Performance Evaluation, Criterion 2. Basic Geometry Fixed, Heat Duty Fixed--Reduce Pumping Power
R2
y = 10 y = 7.5 y = 5 y = 3.18
s=2.5 s=5 s=7.5 s=10 s=2,5 s=5 s = 7 . 5 s = 1 0 s=2.5 s=5 s=7.5 s = 1 0 s=2.5 s=5 s=7.5 s=10
Rei (R2) (R2) (R2) (R2)
730 0.74 0.79 0.82 0.94 0.32 0.56 0.56 0.63 0.21 0.32 0.51 0.58 0.26 0.33 0.57 0.70
953 0.59 0.64 0.82 0.94 0.34 0.54 0.61 0.68 0.24 0.36 0.56 0.64 0.27 0.34 0.58 0.70
1096 0.74 0.79 0.82 0.94 0.34 0.54 0.54 0.60 0.25 0.36 0.57 0.64 0.27 0.34 0.58 0.71
1233 0.74 0.79 0.82 0.94 0.39 0.60 0.60 0.68 0.25 0.36 0.57 0.64 0.27 0.34 0.58 0.71
1501 0.74 0.79 0.82 0.94 0.40 0.61 0.61 0.68 0.25 0.37 0.57 0.64 0.27 0.34 0.58 0.71
1857 0.74 0.79 0.82 0.94 0.40 0.61 0.61 0.68 0.25 0.37 0.57 0.64 0.27 0.34 0.58 0.71
1918 0.74 0.79 0.82 0.94 0.40 0.61 0.61 0.68 0.25 0.37 0.57 0.64 0.27 0.34 0.58 0.71

power requirements of existing heat exchangers (having full- Dh hydraulic diameter of the test tube, mm
length twisted tapes) without a reduction in heat duty. The heat d rod diameter, mm
transfer rating of an existing compact heat exchanger can also f fully developed friction factor based on internal
be improved without an increase in pumping power. diameter of the tube, dimensionless
H pitch for 180" rotation of twisted tape, mm
CONCLUSIONS h length-averaged heat transfer coefficient, W/(m 2
K)
1. Experimental data on laminar flow friction factor and
Nusselt number have been presented for the case of a k fluid thermal conductivity, W/(m K)
circular tube fitted with regularly spaced twisted-tape L length of the test section, m
elements. rn mass flow rate of the fluid, kg/s
2 . It is shown that pressure drop and heat transfer characteris- Nui axially averaged Nusselt number based on
tics are such that the case of full-length twisted tape (s = 0) internal diameter of the tube, dimensionless
is not a limiting case of the geometry with regularly spaced APz pressure drop over a length z, N/m 2
twisted-tape elements (finite s). Friction factor and Nusselt Pr Prandtl number of the fluid, dimensionless
number for s > 0 can be both greater and smaller than for s
Q heat input to the test section, W
= 0. This is because the pressure losses associated with the
decaying nonaxisymmetric swift in the space between tape R resistance of the heater element, ohms
elements can, under certain circumstances (in the case of Rei Reynolds number based on internal diameter of
small s), be greater than the pressure drop that would be the tube, dimensionless
encountered if the same space length were occupied by a Res swift flow Reynolds number [ = (4mhr)(Di -
twisted tape. Similar arguments appear to apply with 4/i)], dimensionless
respect to the heat transfer results where the fluid mixing S space length, m
effect in the space region appears to be greater than would s space ratio ( = S/D~), dimensionless
have been achieved if a twisted tape were present. Tbi inlet bulk mean temperature of the fluid, *C
3. For s > 7.5, the measured friction factor is always found to
Tbo outlet bulk mean temperature of the fluid, *C
be less than the value for s = 0. Although at y = 10 and y
O fluid mean axial velocity, m/s
= 7.5 there is a corresponding reduction in the Nusselt
number, this reduction is smaller than that observed for the V voltage output from the autostat, V
friction factor. At y _< 5, of course, there is an improve- y twist ratio ( = H / D i ) , dimensionless
ment in heat transfer. Thus it can be concluded that z axial length, m
regularly spaced twisted-tape elements appear to be more z* nondimensional axial length [=z/(Ds Rei Pr)],
attractive than full-length twisted tapes in certain situations. dimensionless
4. The proposed correlations predict the experimental data for
friction factor and Nusselt number satisfactorily. Greek Symbols
5. On the basis of constant pumping power and constant heat tape thickness, mm
duty, regularly spaced twisted-tape elements are found to 0 phase angle, deg
perform significantly better than full-length twisted tapes. p fluid density, kg/m 3
# fluid viscosity, kg/(m s)
The present study was sponsored by the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research, Government of India, through grant CSIR 23(158)/
86-EMR-II. REFERENCES
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Ac flow cross-sectional area, m 2 York, 1985.
D~ internal diameter of the test tube, nun 2. Hong, S. W., and Bergles, A. E., Augmentation of Laminar Flow
322 S . K . Saha et al.
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Received November 15, 1988; revised February 6, 1989