Jul 2026· 2026 5th International Conference on Energy and Electrical Power Systems (ICEEPS)· pp. 368-371· 0 citations· 8 references
Abstract
The use of artificial baffles is an effective passive method for enhancing heat transfer in solar air heaters (SAHs). This study numerically investigates the thermo-hydraulic performance of a channel equipped with trapezoidal baffles. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), the study analyzes the effect of the relative pitch (P/W) of the baffles and varying inlet velocities (v = 2 to 6 m/s) on the Nusselt number ratio (Nu/Nu0), friction factor ratio (f/f0), and the overall Thermo-Hydraulic Performance Factor (TPF). The results indicate that the introduction of trapezoidal baffles disrupts thermal stratification but increases pressure drop. The model with a relative pitch of P/W = 0.105 (Model P3) demonstrated the optimal balance between heat transfer enhancement and flow resistance, achieving the highest TPF.
This study employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to evaluate the thermo‐hydraulic performance of a solar air heater (SAH) equipped with a sinusoidal absorber plate and either arc‐ or sinusoidal baffles. The novelty lies in combining a sinusoidal absorber surface with different baffle geometries and systematically evaluating baffle pitch‐to‐height ratios (
P
/
e
= 8, 10, and 12) over a Reynolds number range of 5000–20,000. Using a grid‐independent and experimentally validated numerical model, results revealed that the baffles substantially enhanced convective heat transfer by promoting flow separation, vortex formation, and boundary‐layer disruption. Among the configurations, the arc‐shaped baffle provided the highest heat‐transfer enhancement. As the Reynolds number increased from 5000 to 20,000, the arc baffle's heat transfer coefficient increased from approximately 18 to 34 W/(m
2
·K), and the average Nusselt number rose from 38 to 72. Furthermore, at low Reynolds numbers, the arc‐shaped baffle improved thermal performance by up to 22% compared with the sinusoidal baffle. Because this heat‐transfer improvement was accompanied by a higher pressure drop, thermo‐hydraulic optimization was essential. The pitch‐ratio analysis demonstrated that
P
/
e
= 10 provided the best compromise between heat transfer enhancement and flow resistance, while
P
/
e
= 8 delivered the highest overall thermal performance. These findings confirm that optimized baffle geometry and spacing significantly improve SAH performance, providing useful guidance for the design of more efficient solar thermal air‐heating systems.
Ali Alkhafaji, Dheyaa J. Jasim, M. Al-Zahiwat et al.· Environmental Progress &...· 0 citations
This research presents a detailed computational assessment of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger equipped with helical baffles, emphasizing the
influence of baffle pitch on the system’s overall thermal and hydraulic behavior. The primary aim was to enhance heat transfer capability while
limiting pressure losses, which is an essential requirement for industrial sectors such as energy production, petrochemicals, refrigeration, and
HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) applications. The heat exchanger model was constructed in CATIA V5, and CFD (Computational
Fluid Dynamics) simulations were performed in ANSYS Fluent 15.0 to analyze the impact of different baffle pitches (ranging from
26 to 50 mm) on shell-side performance parameters: pressure drop, temperature difference, and total heat transfer rate over a mass flow range
between 0.1571 and 0.6284 kg/s. The computational results found a 38-mm baffle pitch as the most efficient configuration, yielding a maximum
heat transfer rate of 14.9 kW and a temperature reduction of 8.4 °C, with a moderate pressure penalty. Visualization of the flow field confirmed
the formation of stable swirling and crossflow zones that promote effective mixing without introducing excessive resistance. The study delivers
a systematic CFD-based analysis covering a broad range of operating conditions and offers practical guidelines for perfecting industrial heat
exchanger designs. The novelty of this work lies in its quantitative evaluation strategy, which decides the best configuration through balanced
consideration of both thermal enhancement and fluid dynamic efficiency. In addition to conventional thermal and hydraulic parameters, the
study introduces a thermal–hydraulic performance metric based on the heat transfer rate per unit pressure drop(Q/ΔP). This index provides
an integrated measure of heat transfer effectiveness compared to pumping power. Analysis of this performance index further confirms that the
38 mm pitch delivers the highest thermal–hydraulic efficiency, confirming it as the best configuration across all tested operating conditions.
D. M. Yadav, M. Basha, Dr. B. Omprakash et al.· Journal of Thermal Engineeri...· 0 citations
This study aims to develop and evaluate an innovative design of a shell and tube heat exchanger (STHX) featuring porous sectional baffles to enhance its thermal and hydraulic performance (TPF). A numerical investigation based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is conducted to analyze the TPF of STHX. A parametric study is performed to evaluate the effects of baffle inclination angle and double cut ratio design on heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics. The model included six metal foam baffles with an initial cut ratio of 20 % (MFBs), and its performance was compared to that of a conventional heat exchanger with solid baffles. The effect of foam baffle inclinations at various angles (0°,10°, 20°, 30° and 30° parallel) was also analysed. Also, the effect of the double-cut ratio of the foam baffle (2×10 %, 2×15 %, 2×20 %, and 2×10 % parallel) over a range of mass flow rates between 1.2 and 2.0 kg/s and
R
e
range (11000-16000). The results showed that the use of MFBs lead to a maximum reduction of
∆
P
by 32 % with (2×10 %) design at 2 kg/s accompanied by a significant improvement in TPF. Furthermore, a 30° baffle inclination improved the TPF to 2.207 at (1.2 kg/s), accompanied by a 50 % increase in
N
u
and a 25.5 % reduction
∆
P
. The best TPF was recorded at the ratio (2×10 %), where the (TPF) = 2.389 at 1.2 kg/s, with a
N
u
improvement of 54.4 % compared to a solid baffle. The obtained results provide useful design guidelines for STHXs widely used in energy, petrochemical, and chemical processing industries.
R. Faraj, A. J. J. Al-jassani, H. Al-Bugharbee· Mathematical Models in Engin...· 0 citations
A three-dimensional radiation-coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation is conducted to evaluate the thermo-hydraulic and sustainability performance of a double-pass spiral solar air heater (DPSAH-S) featuring a logarithmic flow path with gradually decreasing passage width. The progressive reduction in channel width induces flow acceleration along the spiral trajectory, promoting enhanced downstream convective heat transfer. The Discrete Ordinates (DO) radiation model is employed to simulate solar absorption under diurnal operating conditions at a Reynolds number of 5000. The numerical results indicate that the DPSAH-S configuration achieves an outlet temperature enhancement of approximately 8–12 K compared to a conventional smooth solar air heater (SAH-C), along with higher collector efficiency under the investigated conditions. Exergy analysis predicts an increase in net exergy gain from 0.7% to 3.1%, while annual exergy output increases due to improved thermal energy utilisation. Although embodied energy increases moderately (12.8%), the exergy-based payback time decreases considerably, indicating improved lifecycle sustainability. Overall, the proposed double-pass spiral configuration shows potential for enhancing thermo-hydraulic and 4E performance in advanced solar air heating applications.
The aim of this study is to numerically investigate natural convection heat transfer in an H-shaped cavity filled with Al2O3–water nanofluid, with a particular focus on the influence of W-shaped baffle geometry, its position, and relative height on the thermal performance.
A two-dimensional, steady-state numerical model was developed by solving the Navier–Stokes, continuity and energy equations using the finite volume method coupled with the SIMPLE algorithm. The effects of key governing parameters, including the Rayleigh number (104–106), nanoparticle volume fraction (0–2%), baffle position (upper, lower and combined) and relative baffle height (H/16 and H/8), were systematically analyzed.
The results demonstrate that both the Rayleigh number and nanoparticle volume fraction significantly enhance heat transfer. The baffle configuration plays a crucial role, with the upper baffle position yielding the highest Nusselt number, followed by the combined and lower configurations. In addition, a relative baffle height of H/8 provides slightly better thermal performance than H/16, although both configurations effectively improve convective heat transfer.
This study provides new insights into the combined effects of complex cavity geometry and nanofluid properties on natural convection. The introduction of a W-shaped baffle within an H-shaped enclosure offers an original configuration that contributes to the optimization of thermal systems and advanced heat transfer applications.
F. Zemani, Boumediene Beladjine, Amina Sabeur et al.· International Journal of Num...· 0 citations
This work aims to evaluate the thermal and hydraulic performance (TPF) of shell and tube heat exchanger with structured metal foam baffles. The configurations of the metallic foam baffles contain baffles with 20% cut ratio, double cut ratio (2 × 10%), and helical tape form. Additionally, the impact of baffles inclination angle of 0° and 30° were also investigated in the first two configurations. For these entire configurations, metal foam was kept with constant volume. Numerical simulations using ANSYS FLUENT 2025 R2 software were performed to estimate the TPF of the heat exchanger for each configuration. Nusselt number (Nu), outlet temperature, and pressure drop () were calculated and compared with those obtained from conventional solid baffles. All the results were obtained at a mass flow range of 1.2 to 2.0 kg/s. The findings demonstrated that the use of metallic foam baffles generally reduced the pressure drop by up to 52% compared with solid baffles. In comparison to solid baffles, the double‐cut design (2 × 10%) showed a 54.4% increase in the Nu with a 23% reduction in pressure drop and 2.389 increase in the TPF value. Additionally, it was observed an increase of 74% in the Nu, and an increase of 4.906 in the TPF for the helical tape configuration.
R. Faraj, Abbas J. Jubear Al‐ Jassani, H. Al-Bugharbee· Heat Transfer· 0 citations
