With the development of thermal engineering and industrial
intensification, more efficient and compact heat transfer systems
are needed. Therefore, many efforts have been devoted to improving
the heat transfer equipment design and enhancing the heat
transfer performance of working fluids [1]. The plate heat exchanger
(PHE) is widely used in many applications including food
processing, heating and cooling applications and chemical industry
for its high efficiency (high heat transfer coefficient) and compactness
(low volume/surface ratio) [2,3]. The flow inside the narrow
PHE channels may separate and reattach successively, creating
strong turbulence and thus enhancing the heat transfer.
However, the complexity caused by the modulated surface of
PHEs may significantly increase the pressure drop, which is undesirable
in practical applications [4]. Therefore, it is necessary to
investigate and evaluate the counteracting effect between the
increased heat transfer and increased pressure drop in PHEs.