Mathematical model and numerical calculation of the movement of oil products in helicoidal heat exchangers

Abstract

Heating of oil and oil products is widely used to reduce energy losses during transportation. An approach is developed to determine the effective length of the heat exchanger and the temperature of the cold coolant (oil) at its outlet in the case of a strong dependence of oil viscosity on temperature. The method of the log-mean temperature difference, modified for the case of variable viscosity, and the methods of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are used for calculations. The results of numerical calculations are compared with the data obtained on the basis of a theoretical approach at a constant viscosity. When using a theoretical approach with a constant or variable viscosity, the heat transfer coefficients to cold and hot coolants are found using criterion dependencies. The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and a turbulence model that takes into account the laminar-turbulent transition are applied. In the case of variable oil viscosity, a transition from the laminar flow regime to the turbulent one is manifested, which has a significant effect on the effective length of the heat exchanger. The obtained results of CFD calculations are of interest for the design of heat exchangers of a new type, for example, helicoidal ones.