Plate-Fin Heat Exchanger
Application ID: 109881
This tutorial model shows how a plate-fin heat exchanger made of aluminum is used to cool down hot oil with colder air.
In order to maximize heat transfer, the heat exchanger is made of a porous aluminum matrix in which the hot oil flows. Heat is conducted through aluminum fins in contact with the porous matrix. These fins are modeled as thin layers, meaning their thickness is not drawn but taken into account in the heat transfer equation.
This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
- COMSOL Multiphysics® and
- Design Module and
- Heat Transfer Module and
- either the Battery Design Module, CFD Module, Chemical Reaction Engineering Module, Corrosion Module, Electrochemistry Module, Electrodeposition Module, Fuel Cell & Electrolyzer Module, Microfluidics Module, Polymer Flow Module, Porous Media Flow Module, or Subsurface Flow Module
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Specification Chart and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.