The paper presents a theoretical study approach to the Nusselt number and friction factor characteristics in strip fin surfaces. Extensive analyses were conducted on the thermal and hydraulic performances of off-set strip fin surfaces using the experimental data provided by Kays & London [1] and Shah and London [2,3]. General relationships were developed to predict the hydraulic and thermal performances giving accurate predictions across all flow regimes for a wide range of common strip geometries. The pressure drop encountered during flow through channels having off-set strip fins is affected by both flow disruption and flow blockage. Flow disruption appears to be the dominant factor in the laminar flow region. Under turbulent flow conditions, both effects were considered. Laminar flow heat transfer is well predicted if the Graetz Number is based on four-time strip fin length. Turbulent flow heat transfer is found to be proportional to the square root of the friction factor.
The paper is dedicated to my late partner Professor Graham T. Polley. He graduated as a chemical engineer from the Loughborough University of Technology in 1969. As a PhD holder, he worked at the UK National Engineering Laboratory (NEL). In 1978, he was appointed UK representative on the International Energy Agency Executive Committee and joined UMIST as project director for the Centre for Process Integration in 1985. He retired from UMIST in 1996. In 1990, he was awarded the Moulton Medal by the IChemE for his work on oil refinery retrofit. Also, a past president of the UK Heat Transfer Society. He kept working as a visiting Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Guanajuato, Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. He was involved in wide research works such as boiling and condensation heat transfer, two-phase flow, heat exchanger design and fouling, and heat recovery networks.
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