David J. Kukulka
State University of New York College at Buffalo, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, New York, 14222 USA
Rick Smith
Vipertex, 658 Ohio Street, Buffalo New York. USA
A numeric study was performed that compares the performance of heat exchangers using enhanced heat transfer
tubes to the performance of heat exchangers that use smooth surface tubes. Heat transfer enhancement is an
important factor in obtaining energy efficiency improvements in all heat transfer applications. Utilization of
enhanced heat transfer tubes is an effective method that is utilized in the development of high performance
thermal systems. Current energy demands and the desire to increase efficiencies of systems have prompted the
development of enhanced heat transfer surfaces.
Enhanced heat transfer tubes are widely used in many areas (refrigeration, air-conditioning, etc.) in order to
reduce cost and create a smaller application footprint. It is important to investigate and compare relevant heat
exchanger designs using enhanced surface tubes in industrial applications and compare that performance to
smooth tubes. Results include performance predictions produced using HTRI Exchanger Suite [1].