Numerical analysis of thermal and flow characteristics in louvered fin heat exchangers with novel fin designs

This study presents the design and performance evaluation of novel louver fin geometries aimed at improving the air-side thermo-hydraulic performance of compact heat exchangers. While prior research has primarily explored traditional fin configurations, a significant gap remains in systematically analysing the impact of unconventional fin shapes and geometry dimension modifications. To address this, several innovative fin geometries were developed and assessed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) under turbulent flow conditions. The performance metrics were evaluated across a Reynolds number range of 125-945, with a focus on the Colburn j-factor and friction factor (f-factor) to quantify heat transfer enhancement and pressure drop. While higher Reynolds numbers improved heat transfer and Nusselt number, gains tapered off at extreme flow rates. It was observed that optimized geometric configurations (the 120? louver angle with 20% pitch) led to a significant enhancement in heat transfer characteristics (high ?, Nu, and j) while maintaining a relatively low pressure drop and friction factor (?P and f). These trends clearly indicate a favourable thermal-hydraulic performance. The study is offering an effective approach for optimizing heat exchanger efficiency in air-cooled applications.