Open Access

ARTICLE

Turbulent Flow and Thermal-Hydrodynamic Optimization in Evaporator Tubes with Transverse Partitions

Omar Ghoulam¹, Hind Talbi^1,2, Kamal Amghar¹, Hamza Faraji^3,*, Saloua Senhaji⁴, Ismael Driouch¹

1 Experimentation and Modeling in Mechanics and Energy Systems Team, Department of Civil, Energy and Environmental Engineering, National School of Applied Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Al Hoceima, Morocco
2 École Supérieure d´Ingénierie Appliquée et Innovation Privée (ESIAI), Oujda, Morocco
3 LaRTID Laboratory, National School of Applied Sciences, Cadi Ayyad University, UCA, Marrakech, Morocco
4 Doctoral Studies Center (CEDoc), Sciences, Engineering and Sustainable Development (SIDD), Private University of Fes (UPF), Lotissement Quaraouiyine Route Ain Chkef, Fes, Morocco

* Corresponding Author: Hamza Faraji. Email:

Energy Engineering 2026, 123(8), 16 https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2026.076813

Received 27 November 2025; Accepted 26 January 2026; Issue published 12 July 2026

Abstract

This study numerically investigates turbulent flow and thermal performance in evaporator tubes equipped with rectangular partitions positioned at different locations. Two configurations are analyzed: (A) partitions on the top wall, center of channel, and bottom wall, and (B) partitions on the bottom wall, center of channel, and top wall. In addition, we examine the effect of varying the positions of the obstacles (S=D2,S=D,S=5D4, andS=3D/2) and the inclination angle (θ=60∘, θ=75∘, θ=90∘, θ=105∘ and θ=120∘) of the detached obstacle relative to the walls, an innovative aspect that had not been addressed in previous studies. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), heat transfer and hydrodynamic behavior are evaluated under steady-state conditions for Reynolds numbers ranging from 10,000 to 30,000. Results show that configuration A enhances dynamic pressure and Nusselt number while reducing friction, yielding a thermal performance enhancement factor (TEF) greater than 1 across all cases. The originality of this work lies in the comparative evaluation of partition positioning and inclination, demonstrating that optimized geometries can significantly improve heat transfer efficiency while minimizing flow resistance compared to conventional evaporators.

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Keywords

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