Heat transfer and flow friction studies on perforated plates using Fluent™

Perforated plates usually find applications in matrix heat exchangers where heat transfer from one fluid to the other takes place by plate-fluid convection and plate conduction. The geometrical parameters that affect heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics are pore diameter, porosity, pore geometry and orientation of holes along the direction of fluid flow. In literature there are several correlations available for heat transfer and friction factor prediction. However, they differ significantly from one to other. In this paper an attempt has been made to obtain such correlations by modeling over a single peiiorated plate using Fluent™ solver. The model consists of a rectangular perforated test plate with two insulating spacers (one at the top and other at the bottom). Flow inlet and outlet are made through set of holes arranged either inline or offset with the perforated test plate. Studies have been done for varying Reynolds numbers from 100 to 1000. The results have been compared with the published data.