Abstract
Numerical simulations have been carried out on staggered elliptic tube banks at low Reynolds numbers. Details of the flow and heat transfer characteristics in the tube banks are clarified for the fully developed flow state under the condition of uniform heat flux. The pressure loss coefficient, the local and mean Nusselt numbers, and the skin friction coefficient are presented along with the flow and temperature fields. The effects of the longitudinal and transversal pitch ratios and the axis ratio upon them are made clear. It is found that the pressure loss across an elliptic tube and the mean Nusselt number decrease for a larger longitudinal pitch. An increase of the transversal pitch causes a decrease of the pressure loss. On the other hand, the mean Nusselt number reaches a maximum at a certain transversal pitch ratio in the axis ratio range from 1.5 to 3.0. The axis ratio also greatly affects these characteristics.
