Optimization study relevant to louvered fin compact heat exchangers

Louvered fins provide a method for improving the heat transfer performance of compact heat exchangers by initiating the growth of new boundary layers. The growth leads to average convective heat transfer coefficients being higher than that which would occur for a continuous fin. It is desirable to optimize a compact heat exchanger to provide reduced fan power and increased heat transfer. This paper presents a numerical method for optimizing a compact heat exchanger design. The results of the current study show that optimization methods used in conjunction with CFD can be used to improve the performance of a louvered fin compact heat exchanger. Of the physically realizable geometries considered, better performance for a compact heat exchanger can be achieved for small fin pitches and small louver angles.