Numerical techniques have been used for at least 30 years to solve the Navier-Stokes equations. In more recent years, commercial computer codes employing this form of solution have become available to the HVAC industry allowing heat exchanger engineers to examine the heat transfer performance of complicated fluid flow geometries in a detail formerly unattainable.

This paper reports some of the difficulties and results of applying a general purpose computer code for solving the Navier-Stokes equations to air flowing over fins in a refrigerant evaporator or condenser. The topics covered include a summary of conventional fin design, calibration of a revised design procedure, correcting the computed results, suggestions for economical use of CPU time, and examples of the detailed information available to the heat exchanger designer.

Units: Dual