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THERMAL SCIENCE
International Scientific Journal
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OPTIMIZATION OF THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF A DOUBLE-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER WITH DISCONTINUOUS HIGH-LOW DOUBLE-HELICAL FINS
ABSTRACT
In industrial waste-heat recovery, double-tube heat exchangers are widely used owing to their structural adaptability and operational reliability. To enhance thermal performance, this study proposes a discontinuous high-low double helical fin double-tube heat exchanger and numerically investigates the effects of fin discontinuity distance, low-fin height, and helix angle on shell-side flow and heat transfer. The results indicate that periodic axial interruptions combined with alternating fin heights intensify turbulence and promote fluid mixing, thereby enhancing heat transfer. Response Surface Methodology is used to optimize the structural parameters, and the results show that the helix angle is the dominant factor, with a notable interaction with the fin discontinuity distance. Under the optimal conditions of a fin discontinuity distance of 142.5 mm, a low-fin height of 12.1 mm, and a helix angle of 59.3°, the optimized configuration increases the Nusselt number by 28.25%, reduces the friction factor by 9.68%, and improves the performance evaluation criterion by 38% compared with a conventional single helical fin configuration. These findings provide quantitative guidance for the design of high-efficiency double-tube heat exchangers.
KEYWORDS
double-tube heat exchanger, Discontinuous high-low double-helical fins, Heat Transfer Enhancement, response surface methodology, Field synergy
PAPER SUBMITTED: 2025-11-28
PAPER REVISED: 2026-01-06
PAPER ACCEPTED: 2026-02-19
PUBLISHED ONLINE: 2026-04-12
DOI REFERENCE: https://doi.org/10.2298/TSCI251128036C
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© 2026 Society of Thermal Engineers of Serbia. Published by the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International licence