Experimental investigation for optimization of design parameters in a rectangular duct with plate-fins heat exchanger by Taguchi method

This study presents the determination of optimum values of the design parameters in a heat exchanger with a rectangular duct by using Taguchi method. The heat exchanger has plate-fins containing periodically interrupted diverging and converging channel flow domains. The experimental investigation for the established heat exchanger involves short rectangular fins attached in 8 × 8 arrays to a surface having various inclination angles. The effects of the six design parameters such as the ratio of the duct channel width to height, the ratio of the winglets length to the duct channel length, inclination angles of winglets, Reynolds number, flow velocity and pressure drop are investigated. In the Taguchi experimental design method, Nusselt number and friction factor are considered as performance parameters. An L₂₅ (5⁶) orthogonal array is chosen as an experimental plan for the design parameters. The analysis of Taguchi method conducted with an optimization process to reach minimum pressure drop (friction factor) and maximum heat transfer (Nusselt number) for the designed heat exchanger. Experimental results validated the suitability of the proposed approach.