Thermal characteristics of a double-tube heat exchanger with different twist directions of the inner oval tube

A new configuration featuring an inner oval tube with alternating twist directions is proposed to improve the thermal performance of double-tube heat exchangers. This design enhances the heat transfer efficiency by inducing longitudinal vortices within the annular space, thereby disrupting the boundary layer on the heat transfer surface, promoting fluid mixing, and significantly augmenting heat transfer. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the effects of alternating twist directions of the inner oval tube on thermal performance. The results demonstrate that alternating twist direction of the inner tube creates more pronounced vortices, significantly enhances heat transfer performance compared with the conventional tubes. This novel oval tube led to a substantial enhancement of up to 173.6 % in the Nu, with a corresponding increase of 96.4 % in the f. At Re = 2600, the highest thermal performance factor of the reported annular tube with an alternately twisted oval inner tube can reach up to 2.18, indicating a 118 % improvement in overall heat transfer performance. Fitted correlations for Nu and f are provided to facilitate engineering applications.