SARDAR VALLABHBHAI NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Design of Rotary Regenerator

Hemant Adhale , TSD, P18TD015

Salman Boghani, Turbo Machine, P18TM006
• The regenerator is a storage-type heat exchanger.
• The heat transfer surface is referred to as a matrix in the regenerator.
• Matrix continuously rotates by hub shaft.
• Hot and cold fluids passes simultaneously through the matrix.
• When the rotational speed of regenerator is increased, its thermal
performance ideally should increase but in reality, the carryover leakage
become significant.
• Thus, with increased speed, the regenerator performance reduces.
 Design Procedure
• The effectiveness of rotary Regenerator can be expressed in terms of
effectiveness of stationary counter flow Heat Exchanger (εo) and the factor
the take into account the influence of rotational speed (φr).
ε= εo φr
The effectiveness of stationary counter flow Heat Exchanger (εo )
εo=
Where,
R= ; NTU=
Where, UA is the calculated by
=
Where , A is the surface area and h is the Convective heat transfer coefficient.
• Nusselt no is given by
Nu=Nu∞

Where, Nu∞=3.657φ
Φ is the heat transfer factor taking the shape of cross section of channel into
account.
Φ=

and are calculated by using following equations

• Parameters d* and n used in equations given above describe the shape of
the channel.
d*= where, deq= ; n=

dmax is the diameter of larges circle that can be inscribed in cross section of flow
channel

Also,
ϕ= 1+ ;
• Other parameters used for calculation of nusselt number are heat transfer
factor (ϴ) and dimensionless coordinate (Z).

ϴ=1+

Z=

Using, Nu=

From Nu, it is possible to calculate hh and hc and subsequently effectiveness.

 Correction factor for Rotational speed:-
• Equation given by Kays and London for Correction factor for
Rotational speed is given by

• Equation given by Worse- Schmidt for Correction factor for

Rotational speed is given by

• Both the Equations, produce results very close to each other

and Cannot be used for very small rotational speeds.
• Bayukalaca and yilmaz proposed the following equation which
was obtained from numerical and experimental study which is
valid for both high speed and low speed

Φr=

Where Cr*=

Cr=ms cs N;
ms and cs are mass and specific heat capacity of solid matrix and N
is the rotating speed of matrix.
A Rotary Regenerative heat exchanger is used for air conditioning application. The
diameter of rotary regenerator is 690 mm and width 200 mm. Flow channel of
regenerator have cross section of equilateral triangle. One side of triangle is 3.44 mm.
There are a total of 61668 flow channels, half of which (50%) are devoted to hot fluid
and remaining 50% for cold fluid. The volumetric flow rate of hot and cold air are 0.783
m3/s and 0.635 m3/s respectively. The inlet temperature of hot and cold air are 30 0C
and 20 0C respectively. Inlet velocities of hot and cold air are 5 m/s and 4 m/s
respectively. Density and specific heat of solid matrix 1380 kg/m3 and 1340 J/kg k .
Rotational speed of matrix 7rpm .Determine the Effectiveness.

Given:-
D= 0.690 m, L=0.2 m
QH= 0.783 m3/s , Qc= 0.635 m3/s
THi = 30 0C , TCi = 20 0C
Flow channel geometry- Equilateral triangle
a=3.44 mm
No. of flow channel=61668
Vh=5 m/s, Vc= 4m/s
Solution:
Area of flow channel=

Properties of air at 30 0C
Cp=1005 J/kg k, P=1.165 Kg/m3 , u=16x10-6 m2/s, Pr=0.701, K=0.02675 W/m2K
Properties of air at 20 0C
Cp=1005 J/kg k, P=1.205 Kg/m3 , u=15.06x10-6 m2/s, Pr=0.703,K=0.02593 W/m2K

Mass flow rates of hot and cold fluid

mh=PQh =0.912195 kg/sec
mc=PQc =0.7651 kg/sec

Heat capacities of Hot and Cold Fluids

Cc=mc. Cpc=768.9255 J/ks =Cmin
Ch=mh. Cph=916.755 J/Ks =Cmax

R=Cmin/Cmax =0.8387
Equivalent diameter (hydraulic diameter)
deq= =1.98608x10-3 m

n= = =1.6541

d*= =1

= 6.36363x10-3

=4.83791x10-4

= 0.25775
 Φ= = 0.706965

Nu∞=3.657φ =2.58537
Heat Transfer factor is given by

ϴ=1+ =0.8682

=0.750

ϕ= 1+ = 0.8338

Now, Reynold no for hot and cold air

Reh=Vh deq /u=614.773
Rec=Vc deq /u=528.908
Z=

For Hot fluid Zh= =0.2336

For cold fluid Zc= = 0.2708

Nusselt no.
Nu=Nu∞

For Hot Fluid Nuh=2.863

For cold fluid Nuc=2.8217

Now, Nu=

For Hot Fluid ; h=38.561 W/m2K

For cold fluid; h=36.8397 W/m2K
Overall heat transfer coefficient (neglecting wall resistance)
=

UA= 1199.024
NTU =UA/Cmin
NTU=1.5593

Effectiveness of stationary counter flow heat exchanger

εo =

= 0.22237/0.3478
εo = 0.6393
Correction factor for Rotational speed;

Φr =

now, given that for solid matrix

C=1340 J/kg K , P= 1380 kg/m3
mass of solid matrix; m=P x V
V= =0.07478 m3

m=1380x0.07478
= 103.1964 kg
Heat capacity of solid matrix
Cr= m. C. N
= 103.1964 x 1340 x 7/60
= 16134.225
Cr*= Cr/Cmin
=20.9828
now,
Φr = = 0.999304

Effectiveness of Rotary Regenerator is

ε= εo φr
= 0.6393 x 0.999304
ε= 0.638855
 Reference
• Design of Regenerative Heat Exchangers.
- Tuncay Yilmaz and Orhan Buyukalaca.
• Fundamentals of Heat Exchanger Design.
- R K Shah and Dusan P. Sekulic.
Thank you