Turbulent Flow and Thermal-Hydrodynamic Optimization in Evaporator Tubes with Transverse Partitions

This study numerically investigates turbulent flow and thermal performance in evaporator tubes equipped with rectangular partitions positioned at different locations. Two configurations are analyzed: (A) partitions on the top wall, center of channel, and bottom wall, and (B) partitions on the bottom wall, center of channel, and top wall. In addition, we examine the effect of varying the positions of the obstacles (S=D2,S=D,S=5D4, andS=3D/2) and the inclination angle (θ=60∘, θ=75∘, θ=90∘, θ=105∘ and θ=120∘) of the detached obstacle relative to the walls, an innovative aspect that had not been addressed in previous studies. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), heat transfer and hydrodynamic behavior are evaluated under steady-state conditions for Reynolds numbers ranging from 10,000 to 30,000. Results show that configuration A enhances dynamic pressure and Nusselt number while reducing friction, yielding a thermal performance enhancement factor (TEF) greater than 1 across all cases. The originality of this work lies in the comparative evaluation of partition positioning and inclination, demonstrating that optimized geometries can significantly improve heat transfer efficiency while minimizing flow resistance compared to conventional evaporators.