Optimization of an Airfoil-Fin Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger with Curved Vortex Generator

In this study, a comparative study of curved vortex generator (CVG) length, CVG height, and CVG thickness on heat transfer and flow characteristics was conducted. The results indicated that increasing CVG length from 0.5 to 2.0 mm enhanced the thermal-hydraulic performance factor (jf) by 4.1% to 7.4%. When CVG height exceeded 0.3 mm, the heat transfer performance was enhanced, with the j-factor increasing by 9.6% to 28.7%. However, this improvement was accompanied by higher pressure penalties, as the friction factor rose by 27.4% to 140.5%. In contrast, CVG thickness had a negligible influence, with variations in both the average Nusselt number and friction factor remaining below 1.0%. Notably, CVG length emerged as the dominant factor, contributing 49.0% due to its strong correlation with heat transfer and flow characteristics, followed by CVG height (28.4%), attack angle (14.6%), and minimum transverse spacing (8.0%). Through the optimization of 16 compound models by the Taguchi method, two optimal configurations (A4B1C4D2 and A4B1C1D4) were identified. The jf factor between these two configurations exhibited a maximum relative deviation of 2.1% and a mean relative deviation of 1.8%, with the second optimal configuration showing a significantly higher jf factor.