Dimple Shape Design to Enhance Heat Transfer in Plate Heat Exchangers

Mitchell Stolycia; Lande Liu

doi:10.69997/sct.146371

Dimple Shape Design to Enhance Heat Transfer in Plate Heat Exchangers

Mitchell Stolycia, Lande Liu

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

This article studies four dimple shapes: spherical, smoothed-spherical, normal distribution, and error distribution and how they enhance heat transfer on a plate within a plate heat exchanger using computational fluid dynamics. The dimple that showed the greatest efficiency of heat transfer was the normal distribution dimple, giving a temperature increase of 7.5 times of the smoothed-spherical and 15% more than the error distribution dimple shape. This was primarily due to the large increase in the turbulent kinetic energy caused by the eddies created upon the flow over the normal distribution shape. With the normal distribution shape being found to be the most effective in enhancing heat transfer, a layout of multiple normal distribution dimples based on the stage of flow development was also studied. It was found that a fully developed flow resulted in 9.5% more efficiency than half developed flow and 31% more efficient than placing dimples directly next to each other.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering
Subtitle of host publication	(ESCAPE 35)
Editors	Jan F. M. Van Impe, Grégoire Léonard, Satyajeet S. Bhonsale, Monika E. Polańska, Filip Logist
Publisher	PSE Press
Pages	20-25
Number of pages	6
Volume	4
ISBN (Print)	9781777940331
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.69997/sct.146371
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2025
Event	35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering - KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium Duration: 6 Jul 2025 → 9 Jul 2025 https://escape35-belgium.eu/

Publication series

Name	Systems and Control Transactions
Publisher	PSE Press
ISSN (Print)	2818-4734

Conference

Conference	35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering
Abbreviated title	ESCAPE 35
Country/Territory	Belgium
City	Leuven
Period	6/07/25 → 9/07/25
Internet address	https://escape35-belgium.eu/

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.69997/sct.146371Licence: CC BY-SA

Cite this

Stolycia, M., & Liu, L. (2025). Dimple Shape Design to Enhance Heat Transfer in Plate Heat Exchangers. In J. F. M. Van Impe, G. Léonard, S. S. Bhonsale, M. E. Polańska, & F. Logist (Eds.), Proceedings of the 35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering: (ESCAPE 35) (Vol. 4, pp. 20-25). (Systems and Control Transactions). PSE Press. https://doi.org/10.69997/sct.146371

Stolycia, Mitchell ; Liu, Lande. / Dimple Shape Design to Enhance Heat Transfer in Plate Heat Exchangers. Proceedings of the 35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering: (ESCAPE 35). editor / Jan F. M. Van Impe ; Grégoire Léonard ; Satyajeet S. Bhonsale ; Monika E. Polańska ; Filip Logist. Vol. 4 PSE Press, 2025. pp. 20-25 (Systems and Control Transactions).

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title = "Dimple Shape Design to Enhance Heat Transfer in Plate Heat Exchangers",

abstract = "This article studies four dimple shapes: spherical, smoothed-spherical, normal distribution, and error distribution and how they enhance heat transfer on a plate within a plate heat exchanger using computational fluid dynamics. The dimple that showed the greatest efficiency of heat transfer was the normal distribution dimple, giving a temperature increase of 7.5 times of the smoothed-spherical and 15\% more than the error distribution dimple shape. This was primarily due to the large increase in the turbulent kinetic energy caused by the eddies created upon the flow over the normal distribution shape. With the normal distribution shape being found to be the most effective in enhancing heat transfer, a layout of multiple normal distribution dimples based on the stage of flow development was also studied. It was found that a fully developed flow resulted in 9.5\% more efficiency than half developed flow and 31\% more efficient than placing dimples directly next to each other.",

keywords = "Ansys Fluent, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Dimple, Heat transfer enhancement, Plate Heat Exchangers, CFD",

author = "Mitchell Stolycia and Lande Liu",

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booktitle = "Proceedings of the 35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering",

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Stolycia, M & Liu, L 2025, Dimple Shape Design to Enhance Heat Transfer in Plate Heat Exchangers. in JFM Van Impe, G Léonard, SS Bhonsale, ME Polańska & F Logist (eds), Proceedings of the 35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering: (ESCAPE 35). vol. 4, Systems and Control Transactions, PSE Press, pp. 20-25, 35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering, Leuven, Belgium, 6/07/25. https://doi.org/10.69997/sct.146371

Dimple Shape Design to Enhance Heat Transfer in Plate Heat Exchangers. / Stolycia, Mitchell; Liu, Lande.
Proceedings of the 35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering: (ESCAPE 35). ed. / Jan F. M. Van Impe; Grégoire Léonard; Satyajeet S. Bhonsale; Monika E. Polańska; Filip Logist. Vol. 4 PSE Press, 2025. p. 20-25 (Systems and Control Transactions).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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T1 - Dimple Shape Design to Enhance Heat Transfer in Plate Heat Exchangers

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AU - Liu, Lande

PY - 2025/7/1

Y1 - 2025/7/1

N2 - This article studies four dimple shapes: spherical, smoothed-spherical, normal distribution, and error distribution and how they enhance heat transfer on a plate within a plate heat exchanger using computational fluid dynamics. The dimple that showed the greatest efficiency of heat transfer was the normal distribution dimple, giving a temperature increase of 7.5 times of the smoothed-spherical and 15% more than the error distribution dimple shape. This was primarily due to the large increase in the turbulent kinetic energy caused by the eddies created upon the flow over the normal distribution shape. With the normal distribution shape being found to be the most effective in enhancing heat transfer, a layout of multiple normal distribution dimples based on the stage of flow development was also studied. It was found that a fully developed flow resulted in 9.5% more efficiency than half developed flow and 31% more efficient than placing dimples directly next to each other.

AB - This article studies four dimple shapes: spherical, smoothed-spherical, normal distribution, and error distribution and how they enhance heat transfer on a plate within a plate heat exchanger using computational fluid dynamics. The dimple that showed the greatest efficiency of heat transfer was the normal distribution dimple, giving a temperature increase of 7.5 times of the smoothed-spherical and 15% more than the error distribution dimple shape. This was primarily due to the large increase in the turbulent kinetic energy caused by the eddies created upon the flow over the normal distribution shape. With the normal distribution shape being found to be the most effective in enhancing heat transfer, a layout of multiple normal distribution dimples based on the stage of flow development was also studied. It was found that a fully developed flow resulted in 9.5% more efficiency than half developed flow and 31% more efficient than placing dimples directly next to each other.

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KW - Computational Fluid Dynamics

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KW - Heat transfer enhancement

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BT - Proceedings of the 35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering

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T2 - 35th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering

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ER -

Dimple Shape Design to Enhance Heat Transfer in Plate Heat Exchangers

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