Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of Pin-Fins in Wavy and Straight Configurations

Pin-fins configurations have been investigated recently for different engineering applications and, in particular, for a cooling turbine. In the present study, we investigated the performance of three different pin-fins configurations: pin-fins forming a wavy mini-channel, pin-fins forming a straight mini-channel, and a mini-channel without pin-fins considering water as the working fluid. The full Navier–Stokes equations and the energy equation are solved numerically using the finite element technique. Different flow rates are studied, represented by the Reynolds number in the laminar flow regime. The thermo-hydraulic performance of the three configurations is determined by examining the Nusselt number, the pressure drop, and the performance evaluation criterion. Results revealed that pin-fins forming a wavy mini-channel exhibited the highest Nusselt number, the lowest pressure drop, and the highest performance evaluation criterion. This finding is valid for any Reynolds number under investigation.