Numerical Modeling of the Geometry of Helically Finned Tubes in Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers for Enhanced Heat Transfer and Reduced Pressure Drop

Babaelahi, Mojtaba

doi:10.22034/stme.2026.552823.1181

Numerical Modeling of the Geometry of Helically Finned Tubes in Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers for Enhanced Heat Transfer and Reduced Pressure Drop

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Mojtaba Babaelahi

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Qom

10.22034/stme.2026.552823.1181

Abstract

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are widely used in energy, chemical, and HVAC industries due to their mechanical robustness, high thermal efficiency, and ability to withstand elevated pressures and temperatures. This study aims to enhance heat transfer performance while minimizing pressure drop by numerically modeling and optimizing the geometry of helical grooves inside the tubes of such heat exchangers. Thermo-hydraulic analysis was carried out using CFD simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics. Model validation against well-established empirical correlations confirmed the accuracy of the baseline model, with a deviation of less than 6%. The results show that increasing the depth and width of the helical grooves can enhance the heat transfer coefficient by up to 23%, although at the expense of a 20% rise in pressure drop. Finally, the developed model was optimized using a genetic algorithm. The optimization results indicate that the optimal geometry—groove depth of 2 mm, width of 1.5 mm, helix angle of 40°, and 20 grooves—improves the overall thermal performance by 25% compared to smooth tubes.

Keywords

Helical Grooves

Heat Transfer Enhancement

Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers

Numerical Simulation

Thermal Performance

Subjects