Finned Tube Radiator

Finned Tube Radiator Heat Transfer — ANSYS Fluent CFD Simulation

Description

This project presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the heat-transfer mechanisms within a finned tube radiator using ANSYS Fluent. A radiator of this type works as a dual-flow heat exchanger: hot water circulates through internal pipes while cooler air flows across them, and the fins mounted on the pipes dramatically increase the contact surface between the two streams to maximize thermal transfer. The goal of the simulation is to capture this coupled water-to-air heat exchange and quantify how effectively the fin arrangement helps the radiator dissipate heat into the surrounding air. As part of the Heat Transfer: Beginner CFD Training Package, it builds directly on heat-sink fundamentals by extending the fin concept to a tube bank with combined conduction and convection.

Methodology

The three-dimensional model was created in Design Modeler, using symmetry to reduce computational demand. The radiator features air inlet and outlet sections on both sides, with three internal water-carrying pipes, and each pipe incorporates 22 rows of fins to enhance thermal exchange. ANSYS Meshing generated a grid of 2,120,802 elements to resolve the geometry accurately.

The radiator operates through a dual-flow heat-exchange system. Hot water circulates through the internal pipes at 0.1 m/s with a temperature of 343.15 K, while cooler air simultaneously flows across the pipes at 3 m/s with an initial temperature of 293.15 K. The strategic placement of 22 fin rows on each water pipe significantly increases the contact surface between the hot water and the cooler air, enhancing the radiator's ability to dissipate heat into the surrounding environment. The simulation employs the standard k-epsilon turbulence model coupled with the energy equation to resolve the fluid dynamics and thermal distribution throughout the computational domain.

Analysis

The completed analysis provides comprehensive two- and three-dimensional contours of velocity profiles, pressure distributions, and temperature gradients. The temperature visualizations clearly demonstrate that air passing over the hot water tubes effectively absorbs thermal energy, exiting the radiator at an elevated temperature — confirming successful heat transfer from the water system to the airflow. From these results you can evaluate the effectiveness of the fin arrangement, observe how the temperature develops along the air path, and assess the overall thermal performance of the radiator design.