Pressure Drop Analysis of Heat Recovery Unit Using CFD

Abstract

Stenter machine plays important role in textile finishing which consumes huge amount of energy. To utilize the waste heat from the exhaust air of Stenter machine is one of the best options for energy conservation. Heat recovery units (HRUs) are provided with Stenter chamber for waste heat recovery. HRUs are usually subjected to pressure drop along its flow passage due to its typical configuration.

In the present study, basics of Stenter machine and CFD are discussed. The case study pertaining to CFD analysis of heat exchangers are discussed. Literature review related to CFD analysis is summarized considering different categories like pressure drop analysis, heat transfer analysis, design optimization etc. The geometry of HRU was created in CREO 1.0 software and grid was generated in Gambit, which is a pre-processor of Fluent inc. Pressure drop analysis of HRU for existing design was carried out and results are compared with the results provided by manufacturer and found in good agreement. To reduce the pressure drop in the HRU, few modifications were attempted in the cold air flow path viz. by increasing the flow passage, by changing the profiles at inlet and outlet etc. It was found that different modifications lead to significant decrease in the pressure drop in HRU.