The Relationship between Nusselt number and Reynolds number
is shown in Fig. 7. Comparisons between the enhanced Nusselt
number (corrugated tube) and the non-enhanced Nusselt number
(smooth tube) are presented in Fig. 8 for all cases. Depending on
arrangement type and Reynolds number, the use of corrugated tube
as the inner tube of the double pipe heat exchanger increases the
Nusselt number about 10e52% while if both of the inner and outer
tubes are corrugated, the Nusselt number increases about 23e117%.
Maximum enhancement occurred at lower amounts of Reynolds
number, and it was obtained for heat exchanger made of convex
corrugated inner tube and concave corrugated outer tube (case f).
The probable reason of this maximum enhancement for said
arrangement is described as follows: it can be said that the outer
tube corrugations (concave type) drive the cold water (in annular
space) toward the inner tube surface (thermal boundary layer) and
the inner tube corrugations (convex type) implement the same
operation conversely, and the result is more water mixture and
more turbulence and high heat transfer rate in the annulus. Besides,
outer tube corrugations (in concave type) can more penetrate the
water in the annulus, so the flow mixture occurs better. It should be
noted that, if the diameters ratio (Do/Di) is increased, the influence
of the outer tube corrugations may decrease. Indeed, the high diameters
ratio makes more distant between the outer tube corrugations
and thermal boundary layer (inner tube surface). However,
the logical choice of diameters ratio and other parameters and
proficient design of corrugations can more improve the effectiveness
of heat exchangers.