Mining fan end cooling heat exchanger circuit optimization analysis using micro-unit method

Abstract

To address the issue of low efficiency in cooling heat exchangers at the deeper ends of mine fans, we propose a micro-unit approach for arranging the cooling water flow path within the heat exchanger. This method involves subdividing the heat exchanger into micro heat transfer units and determining the heat transfer characteristics of each individual unit through theoretical calculations and software simulations. Utilizing a computer program, these micro units are systematically arranged and combined to exhaust all possible cooling water flow paths. The ultimate objective is to derive the optimal structural arrangement of the cooling water flow path within the heat exchanger, with the goal of achieving the most efficient heat transfer effect. The findings reveal that the optimized structure, obtained through the micro-unit optimization method, achieves an average air outlet temperature of 311.65 K. This temperature is lower than that of the typical current-flow structure (311.88 K) and the typical counter-flow structure (311.68 K), indicating a superior heat transfer effect. Further examination demonstrates that the average air outlet temperature across all counter-flow structures is 311.68 K, which is notably lower than the average air outlet temperature of 311.90 K observed in the current-flow structure. This highlights the enhanced heat transfer effectiveness of the counter-flow structure. This novel method for optimizing the heat exchanger flow path applies the concept of finite element analysis to the optimization process, reducing computational and experimental costs. This approach is significant for improving the efficiency of heat exchangers.