Authors : Hemavathi P.; Vijaya Kumar Reddy K.

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 5 - May

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5yyresuk

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/bdhn3msa

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26May1670

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : The thermohydraulic performance of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger (STHX) is explored utilizing a combined heat transfer enhancement strategy that includes twisted tape inserts, helical baffles, and hybrid nanofluids. Graphene oxide (GO), GO-SiO₂, and GO-TiO₂ hybrid nanofluids are chosen for their better thermophysical characteristics. A numerical research is carried out for a STHX fitted with helical baffles inclined at an optimal angle of 40° to analyze heat transfer enhancement and flow characteristics. In parallel, experiments are carried out on the tube side using twisted tape inserts with pitches of 50, 100, 150, and 200 mm to isolate the effect of swirl-induced turbulence. The experimental findings show that the Nusselt number increases by up to 31.21% when compared to the standard arrangement, with optimal thermohydraulic performance reached at a twisted tape pitch of 150 mm, according to performance evaluation criterion (PEC) analysis. The combination of hybrid nanofluids, twisted tape inserts, and helical baffles has been shown to be a viable technique for improving heat transfer performance while minimizing hydraulic penalties. The findings of this study give valuable design insights for increasing the efficiency of shell-and-tube heat exchangers in real-world thermal engineering applications.

Keywords : Hybrid Nanofluids; Nusselt Number, Friction Factor, PEC etc.

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