Aerospace Mechanics

Aerospace Mechanics

Numerical Investigation of the Effect of a Modified Corrugated Longitudinal Vortex Generator on the Hydraulic-Thermal Performance of a Minichannel

Document Type : Propulsion and Heat Transfer

Authors
1 PhD Student, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
2 Associate Professor, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
Abstract
In this study, a numerical simulation of heat transfer and flow field in a mini-channel equipped with a modified corrugated longitudinal vortex generator is carried out. The working fluid is pure water with constant thermophysical properties throughout the simulation. The energy, momentum, and continuity equations are solved for an incompressible, steady-state, three-dimensional, turbulent flow. The numerical simulations are performed using the COMSOL Multiphysics software based on the finite element method. The main objective of this research is to investigate the effect of sharp edges on the corrugated longitudinal vortex generators under two configurations: common flow down and common flow up. The distributions of velocity, static temperature, and local temperature in the mini-channel are presented, along with a comparison of the Nusselt number and friction factor, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the influence on flow behavior and heat transfer rate. The results indicate that the modified vortex generator increases the friction factor by up to 120% compared with a mini-channel without a vortex generator. Furthermore, the overall Nusselt number increases by 37% in the common flow up configuration and by 40% in the common flow down configuration. In addition, a comparison between the modified corrugated vortex generator and the conventional corrugated vortex generator shows that due to a 5% increase in vortex strength, the thermal performance factor of the mini-channel is improved.
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  • Receive Date 14 February 2026
  • Revise Date 17 April 2026
  • Accept Date 07 May 2026
  • Publish Date 22 May 2026