Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649

www.elsevier.com/locate/apthermeng

Numerical investigation of the effect of inlet flow distortions

on forced draught air-cooled heat exchanger performance
C.J. Meyer *

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa

Received 19 July 2004; accepted 17 November 2004

Available online 29 January 2005

Abstract

Forced draught air-cooled heat exchangers (ACHEs) are often arranged into banks consisting of multi-
ple rows of fan-heat exchanger combinations. Fans on the outer edge of the banks are subject to severe
cross-flow conditions as the air is swept past en route to fans located deeper within the banks. The
cross-flow conditions give rise to increased inlet flow losses. The current investigation seeks to develop a
better understanding of the nature of these increased inlet flow losses through the numerical resolution
of flow fields associated with systems comprising a single and two banks of ACHEs. For installations com-
prising two banks of ACHEs it is found that the inlet flow losses of the periphery fan are dominated by flow
separation occurring around the inlet lip of the fan inlet section. These flow losses can be reduced by the
installation of a walkway at the edge of the fan platform or by the removal of the periphery fan inlet sec-
tion. For a system comprising of a single bank of ACHEs it is found that the numerical models used accu-
rately reflect the experimentally determined differences in inlet flow losses experienced by systems using
either bell-mouth, conical or cylindrical fan inlet sections.

2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Forced draught air-cooled heat exchanger; Inlet flow distortions; Computational fluid dynamics

*
Tel.: +27 21 650 3668; fax: +27 21 650 3240.
E-mail address: cmeyer@ebe.uct.ac.za

1359-4311/$ - see front matter
2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2004.11.012
 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649 1635

Nomenclature

d diameter (m)
H height (m)
n number
N rotational speed (rpm)
V volume flow rate (m3/s)
W width or pitch (m)
X dimensionless platform height

Greek symbol
c fan blade stagger angle ()

Subscripts
F fan
FC fan casing
FH fan hub
FP fan platform
id ideal
root fan blade root
s shroud
w walkway

1. Introduction

Mechanical draught ACHEs are used extensively in the chemical and process industries for
cooling purposes. In installations that utilize multiple numbers of axial flow fans the ACHEs
are arranged in long banks consisting of any number of bays where a bay comprises two side-
by-side axial flow fans (fan axes are aligned in the vertical direction) with a heat exchanger bundle
mounted above the fans. Air is thus drawn in from below and discharged vertically upwards
through the heat exchangers by the axial flow fans. Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a single
ACHE bank indicating the manner in which the bank is built up from ACHE bays.
Long banks of ACHEs are, however subject to flow maldistribution at the fan inlets that ad-
versely affects the operation of the axial flow fans which ultimately reduces the cooling capacity
of the installation. The inlet flow losses associated with forced draught ACHEs have been the sub-
ject of a number of investigations [1–6].
In order to reduce inlet flow losses Monroe [1] advocates the use of bell-shaped fan inlet sec-
tions and restriction of the cross-flow velocity component at the fan inlet to less than half of
the average velocity through the fan.
Spiers [2] conducted tests on a single-fanned full-scale unit and experimentally demonstrated a
reduction of the system volume flow rate with a reduction in the height of the fan inlet above
ground level. Spiers [2], by closing of three of the four vertical sides at the fan inlet also showed
1636 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649

Fig. 1. A schematic representation of a single ACHE bank comprising any number of bays.

that a unit comprised of multiple fans is more sensitive to a reduction in the distance between the
fan inlet and the ground level than a system utilizing a single fan.
Russell and Peachey [3] conducted experiments on a single fan scale unit utilizing both conical
and cylindrical fan inlets. Good agreement with the data of Spiers [2] was obtained. It was further
shown that the type of fan inlet used affects the inlet flow losses. Flow visualization indicated
regions of flow separation around the inlet lip of the conical fan inlet used.
Salta and Kröger [4] conducted a range of experiments on a scale model of a bank of ACHEs
utilizing up to twelve fan rows (6 bays). Based on the results of the experimental investigation a
mathematical expression was developed characterising the inlet losses associated with a system
comprising any number of fans. Salta and Kröger [4] also demonstrated that the addition of a
walkway at the edge of the first bank of ACHEs reduced the inlet flow losses experienced by
the first row of fans along the edge of the bank.
In a combined experimental-numerical investigation and utilizing the same experimental set-up
used by Salta and Kröger [4], Duvenhage et al. [5] investigated the effect of different types of fan
inlets on the performance of a single bank of ACHEs. The expression developed by Salta and
Kröger [4] was shown to apply to conical and cylindrical inlets. The effect of the length of the
cylindrical inlet used on the inlet flow losses was also demonstrated. Although limited to a single
bank of ACHEs and utilizing only cylindrical fan inlets, the results of the numerical investigation
of Duvenhage et al. [5] showed good qualitative agreement with the experimental data demon-
strating the integrity of the numerical models employed. The numerical results furthermore con-
firmed the formation of regions of separated flow around the fan inlets as observed by Russell and
Peachey [3]. Comparison of the experimental data with that of Russell and Peachey [3] and Spiers
[2] lead Duvenhage et al. [5] to conclude that the type of fan used has some effect on the inlet flow
losses.
 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649 1637

Stinnes and Von Backström [6] subjected a single axial flow fan to cross-flow conditions in an
attempt to determine the effect thereof on the fan performance characteristics. The investigation
was unique in the sense that no inlet section was used per se. The flow was directed into the fan via
inlet ducting thus ensuring that no flow separation occurs around the fan inlet section as would
occur in an industrial ACHE. Stinnes and Von Backström [6] concluded that the fan power con-
sumption was not adversely affected by the cross-flow conditions and that the reduction in the fan
static pressure characteristics could be represented by the dynamic pressure based on the cross-
flow velocity component across the fan inlet. Off-axis inlet flow angles of up to 45 were
investigated.
The current numerical investigation extends the numerical investigation of Duvenhage et al.
[5] to cooling systems comprising two banks of ACHEs whilst utilizing a bell-mouth fan inlet
section. The effect of a walkway at the edge of the first bank of ACHEs is also investi-
gated. The effect of different fan inlet sections, cylindrical conical and bell-mouth, are investi-
gated for a system utilizing a single bank of ACHEs. The investigation also seeks to develop a
better understanding of the nature of the inlet flow losses experienced by a bank or banks of
ACHEs, i.e. whether flow separation effects as observed by Russell and Peachey [3] and/or
cross-flow effects as investigated by Stinnes and Von Backström [6] dominate the inlet flow
characteristics.

2. Computational models

The commercially available CFD code, FLUENT, solves the Reynolds-averaged Navier–
Stokes equations for an incompressible fluid [7]. The effect of turbulence on the flow
field is included through the application of the k-e turbulence model of Launder and Spalding
[8].
The axial flow fan is modelled using the actuator disc fan model of Meyer and Kröger [9] which
calculates the force exerted by a fan blade on the air at a specific location within the volume swept
by the fan blades. The blade force calculation takes the flow field at the leading and trailing edge
of the fan blade as well as the cross-sectional profile and orientation of the fan blade at that par-
ticular location into account. The calculated force is in turn specified as a source of momentum in
the Navier–Stokes equations solved by FLUENT.
FLUENT makes provision for the use of porous regions within the calculated flow field. The
porosity of a predefined porous region can be specified through user coding conveniently allowing
a resistance device like a heat exchanger to be modelled as a porous region within the flow field.
Apart from affecting a reduction in the pressure of the air moving through the heat exchanger
finned tubes, the most notable aerodynamic effect of the heat exchanger bundle is to direct the
air stream in a direction perpendicular to the heat exchanger inlet/outlet plane. These effects
can readily be included in the heat exchanger model by specifying an infinitely high porosity in
the directions parallel to the heat exchanger inlet/outlet planes and a porosity value consistent
with the modelled heat exchanger pressure drop characteristics in the direction normal to the heat
exchanger inlet/outlet plane.
The computational grids used during the course of the investigation consists of between
600 000–800 000 computational cells or volumes on average.
1638 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649

3. Geometry and boundary conditions

Computational limitations confines the current investigation to systems consisting of either one
or two ACHE banks. The single and double bank systems depicted in the top and bottom of Fig.
2 respectively are constructed from a very large number of bays. The result is that the majority of
fan-heat exchanger combinations located towards the centre of the system will experience no flow
across the planes denoted by dotted lines in Fig. 2. In terms of the computational model these
planes of zero through-flow constitute symmetry planes. It follows that for a single bank system
the flow conditions at the majority of fan-heat exchanger combinations would be represented by
that of a single fan-heat exchanger combination with the planes of zero through-flow defined as
symmetry planes. This system is thus the representative fan-heat exchanger combination for a sin-
gle bank ACHE system. For a double bank system the representative flow conditions will include
two side-by-side fan-heat exchanger combinations with the planes of zero through-flow again
defined as symmetry planes. This then constitutes the representative fan-heat exchanger combina-
tion for a double bank system.
The two representative fan-heat exchanger combinations depicted in Fig. 2 are both numeri-
cally investigated and are a scale model of the experimental set-up used by Salta and Kröger
[4] and Duvenhage et al. [5].
The axial flow fan used in the numerical investigation is the eight-bladed B-fan designed
and tested by Bruneau [10]. In general the fan can be described as a medium chord fan with
both the blade chord and twist increasing from the blade tip reaching a maximum at the blade

Fig. 2. Representative fan-heat exchanger combinations for a single and a double bank ACHE system.
 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649 1639

root close to the hub. The B-fan blades are moulded glass fibre blades with a smooth surface
finish.

Fan casing diameter dFC = 1.542 m

Fan hub diameter dFH = 0.616 m
Rotational speed N = 750 rpm

The fan blades are set in the hub at a specific angle, the blade root stagger angle (croot), mea-
sured between the fan axis and the blade chord.
Fig. 3 displays the relevant geometric detail for the representative fan-heat exchanger combina-
tion used to investigate a system consisting of two banks of ACHEs. HFP denotes the height of the
fan platform above ground level, Ww the width of a walkway mounted on the height of the fan
platform and along the edge of the bank and WF the fan pitch. In accordance with Salta and
Kröger [4] WF/dFC = 1.27.
From Fig. 3 it is clear that the heat exchangers are not modelled in detail but are rather
represented by annular porous regions. The flow resistance in the radial and tangential direc-
tions within the porous regions is infinitely large, thus forcing the flow in the fan axial
direction. The flow resistance in the fan axial direction of the porous regions is specified so
as to yield an operating point volume flow rate close to the point of maximum fan static
efficiency.
Fig. 3 also indicates the coordinate system used during the course of the numerical investiga-
tion: the fan axial direction is aligned in the global z-direction whilst the global y-direction is
aligned along the line formed by joining the two centre points of the axial flow fans.
Fig. 4 displays the three types of fan inlets used during the course of the investigation; cylindri-
cal, conical and bell-mouth.

Fig. 3. Geometric detail of the representative fan-heat exchanger combination of a ACHE consisting of two banks.
1640 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649

Fig. 4. The dimensions of the three inlet shrouds.

4. Results and discussion

As noted earlier, the focus of the numerical investigation is on systems comprising either one or
two banks of ACHEs and the results are thus presented to reflect this focus.

4.1. Systems comprising two banks of ACHEs

Salta and Kröger [4] experimentally investigated, amongst others, a scale model of an installa-
tion consisting of two banks of ACHEs. The fans were furnished with bell-mouth inlets and the
distance between consecutive fans were such that WF/dFC = 1.27.
Salta and Kröger [4] presented the volumetric effectiveness of individual fans, as well as the
installation as a whole as a function of the dimensionless platform height, X, so that
X ¼ ð1 þ 45=nF ÞH FP =ð6:35d FC Þ ð1Þ
where nF is the number of fan rows (twice the number of fans contained in the representative fan-
heat exchanger combination) and HFP is the height of the fan platform above the ground level.
The volumetric effectiveness expresses the volume flow rate through a single fan and/or the
system, V, as a fraction of the ideal volume flow rate, Vid. The latter was determined by allowing
a single, freestanding fan unit to draw in air from the atmosphere in the absence of any inlet
 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649 1641

disturbances. The average volumetric effectiveness of the fans comprising the representative sec-
tion represents the installation volumetric effectiveness. According to Salta and Kröger [4] the lat-
ter can be expressed as
V =V id ¼ 0:985
eð
X Þ ð2Þ
Salta and Kröger [4] also investigated the effect of a walkway at the edge of the fan platform on
the inlet side of the installation on the system volumetric effectiveness. It was found that the addi-
tion of a walkway improves the system volumetric effectiveness at lower X values. Ww/dFC values,
where Ww is the walkway width, ranging from 0.159 to 0.635 were investigated. Ww/dFC values in
the range 0.159–0.476 were found to yield the highest improvements in system volumetric effec-
tiveness with a notable reduction in the improvements associated with a Ww/dFC value of 0.635.
In the current numerical investigation the ideal volume flow rate is determined in much the
same manner as that used by Salta and Kröger [4] with the consequence that the free atmosphere
from which a single fan unit draws air needs to be modelled. The total pressure at the outside
boundaries of the free atmosphere is specified whilst the latter is sufficiently large to ensure that
the pressure boundaries do not adversely affect the flow into the fan.
The effect of different fan platform heights on the volumetric effectiveness of the system consist-
ing of two banks is numerically investigated. The fans are furnished with the bell-mouth fan inlet
shown in Fig. 4. This configuration is denoted Case 1. The effect of a walkway where Ww/
dFC = 0.159 on the volumetric effectiveness is also investigated. This configuration is denoted Case
2 whereas Case 3 constitutes a configuration where the bell-mouth inlet sections are removed and
the volumetric efficiencies are thus determined in the absence of any fan inlet sections. Case 4 rep-
resents a configuration where the inlet bell-mouth of the fan closest to the free atmosphere (fan 1)
is removed whilst the fan furthest from the free atmosphere (fan 2) retains the inlet bell-mouth.
These four configurations are summarized in Table 1.
Figs. 5–7 contrast the numerically determined volumetric effectiveness of fan 1, fan 2 and the
system, respectively, with the experimental data of Salta and Kröger [4] where available. It should
be noted that all references to experimental data in Figs. 5–7 refers to the data of Salta and Kröger
[4].
For Case 1 the data displayed in Figs. 5 and 6 show that the numerical and experimental vol-
umetric effectiveness for fan 1 agrees well whilst the numerically determined values for fan 2 are
higher across the X-value range, yielding the higher numerical system volumetric effectiveness
shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 8 displays a vector plot of the flow field through fan 1 on the vertical yz-
plane that intersects the centre points of the two fans of a system where X = 2.89. A region of sep-
arated flow within the bell-mouth inlet section of fan 1 is clearly visible whilst it is conspicuously

Table 1
The four double bank systems investigated
Fan 1 Fan 2 Walkway
Case 1 Bell-mouth Bell-mouth No
Case 2 Bell-mouth Bell-mouth Yes
Case 3 No inlet section No inlet section No
Case 4 No inlet section Bell-mouth No
1642 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649

Fig. 5. Volumetric effectiveness of fan 1 in systems consisting of two banks of ACHEs (Case 1–4).

Fig. 6. Volumetric effectiveness of fan 2 in systems consisting of two banks of ACHEs (Case 1–4).

absent from the inlet section of fan 2, displayed in Fig. 9. These results would seem to indicate
that the losses experienced by fan 1 in both the experimental and numerical set-up are dominated
by the observed region of separated flow as the volumetric effectiveness of fan 1 is nearly the same
for both the experimental and numerical set-up. From Fig. 8 it is clear that cross-flow effects
as investigated by Stinnes and Von Backström [6] prevail at the inlet section of fan 2. Here the
 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649 1643

Fig. 7. System volumetric effectiveness of systems consisting of two banks of ACHEs (Case 1–4).

Fig. 8. Velocity vector plot on a vertical plane at fan 1 for Case 1 where X = 2.89.

experimental and numerical volumetric effectiveness differ quite clearly leading to the conclusion
that the fans used by Salta and Kröger [4] are more sensitive to cross-flow conditions than others
and in particular the fan used in the numerical investigation. Stinnes and Von Backström [6] ob-
served some fans to be more sensitive to cross-flow effects than others in particular they observed
the fan modelled in the current numerical investigation, the B-fan, referred to as the B2-fan by
1644 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649

Fig. 9. Velocity vector plot on a vertical plane at fan 2 for Case 1 where X = 4.82.

Stinnes and Von Backström [6], to be less sensitive to cross-flow effects than some of the other fans
tested.
The experimental and numerical data of Figs. 5–7 show that the addition of a walkway (Case 2)
improves the volumetric effectiveness of fan 1, fan 2 and consequently the system across the inves-
tigated X-value range with the effect being more pronounced at the lower end of the X-value
range. Fig. 10 displays a vector plot of the flow field through fan 1 on a yz-plane that includes
the centre-points of the two fans and for an installation where X = 4.82. The vector plot indicates
that a region of separated flow now forms directly beneath the walkway as opposed to within the
inlet bell-mouth as observed in Fig. 8. The net result is that the flow into fan 1 is less distorted with
a consequent increase in the volume flow rate through fan 1.

Fig. 10. Velocity vector plot on a vertical plane at fan 1 for Case 2 where X = 4.82.
 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649 1645

Fig. 11. Velocity vector plot on a vertical plane at fan 1 for Case 2 where X = 1.45.

Fig. 12. Velocity vector plot of the flow field on a horizontal plane midway through the inlet bell-mouth of fan 1 for a
installation without (top) and with (bottom) a walkway installed and where X = 1.45.
1646 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649

The vector plot of the flow field for an installation where X = 1.45, displayed in Fig. 11, how-
ever indicates that the addition of a walkway does not prevent the formation of a region of sep-
arated flow on the vertical yz-plane within the bell-mouth fan inlet and yet the volume flow rate
through fan 1 is nearly 12% higher than with no walkway present. Fig. 12 contrasts the vector plot
of the flow field on a horizontal xy-plane midway through the bell-mouth inlet of fan 1 for Case 1
and Case 2 at an X value of 1.45. The vector plot for Case 1 shows two very distinct regions of
recirculating flow that are absent for Case 2. It follows that the addition of the walkway decreases
the level of distortion of the flow field directly upstream of fan 1 thus allowing for better fan per-
formance and thus a higher volume flow rate through fan 1.
The numerically determined flow fields for Case 1 and 2 indicate that the formation of regions
of separated/recirculating flow within the bell-mouth fan inlets have a pronounced effect on the
performance of fan 1, especially at lower X values. Given the cross-flow conditions that exist at
the inlet region of fan 1 it can be argued that the very presence of the bell-mouth section gives
rise to these regions of separated/recirculating flow and that the removal of the bell-mouth inlet
should improve the volumetric effectiveness of fan 1. The data of Fig. 5 (Case 3) confirms this
speculation and shows a 23% increase in the volumetric effectiveness of fan 1 at the lowest X value
of 1.45. As expected this increase is less pronounced for higher X values due to the decrease in the
cross-flow component at the fan inlets. However, Fig. 6 shows that the removal of the bell-mouth
inlet of fan 2 decreases the volumetric effectiveness of fan 2 across the X-value range to such an
extent that the removal of the bell-mouth inlets loses all advantage for X values higher than 3 as
indicated in Fig. 7, although an improvement of nearly 10% is still evident at lower X values.
The lower volumetric effectiveness experienced by fan 2 for Case 3 can be remedied by furbish-
ing fan 2 with a bell-mouth inlet section (Case 4) as is evident from a direct comparison of the
volumetric effectiveness for Case 3 and 4 displayed in Figs. 5–7. Fig. 5 indicates that the volumet-
ric effectiveness of fan 1 remains unchanged with the addition of bell-mouth inlet to fan 2 whilst
Fig. 6 shows an increase in the volumetric effectiveness of fan 2 due to the addition of a bell-mouth
inlet section. The net result is that the system volumetric effectiveness for Case 4 is comparable to
that of a system fitted with a walkway for X > 2 and the highest of all the systems tested for X < 2.

4.2. Systems comprising of a single bank of ACHEs

The ideal volume flow rates of the fan-heat exchanger combinations utilizing either conical or
cylindrical fan inlet sections are determined in the same manner as that for a fan-heat exchanger
combination utilizing a bell-mouth fan inlet. Table 2 lists the ideal volume flow rates as a percent-
age of the ideal volume flow rate obtained should a bell-mouth fan inlet be used. The percentage
values for the conical and cylindrical fan inlets are 1.25 and 2% higher, respectively than those

Table 2
Ideal volume flow rate for different fan inlet sections
Fan inlet Vid as a fraction of Vid for a system utilizing a bell-mouth inlet (%)
Bell-mouth 100.00
Conical 99.25
Cylindrical 96.16
 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649 1647

Fig. 13. System volumetric effectiveness of systems comprising a single bank of ACHEs and utilizing different fan inlet
sections.

determined experimentally by Duvenhage et al. [5] but this can be attributed to the differences be-
tween the axial flow fan used by Duvenhage et al. [5] and the one modelled in the current
investigation.
Fig. 13 contrasts the numerically determined system volumetric effectiveness of a system using
either a bell-mouth, conical or cylindrical fan inlet section with the expression developed by Salta
and Kröger [4], given by Eq. (2) and where X is obtained from Eq. (1).
The numerical data of Fig. 13 indicates that, over the X-value range tested, the volumetric effec-
tiveness of a system using a cylindrical fan inlet section is higher than one using a bell-mouth inlet
section whilst the volumetric effectiveness of the latter is again higher than that of a system
utilizing a conical fan inlet section. Duvenhage et al. [5] found the same result experimentally
which indicates that the fan inlet sections affects the different fans used in the experimental and
numerical investigation in much the same way.
Duvenhage et al. [5] also investigated, both experimentally as well as numerically, the effect of
different lengths of cylindrical inlet sections on the system volumetric effectiveness. The fan plat-
form height was adjusted to ensure that the distance between the inlet edge of the cylindrical fan
inlets and the ground remained constant so that (HFP
Hs)/dFC = 1.16, where Hs is the vertical
height of the cylindrical inlet section.
Fig. 14 displays the system volumetric effectiveness as a function of the non-dimensional length
of the cylindrical inlet section for both the numerical results of the current investigation and the
experimental results of Duvenhage et al. [5]. The experimental data clearly displays an optimum
point at Hs/dFC  0.16 whereas the numerical data decreases from a maximum value as Hs/dFC
increases from zero. Qualitatively the numerical results of Duvenhage et al. [5] agree well
with the experimental data displayed in Fig. 14 although the reduction in the system volumetric
effectiveness for the maximum and minimum Hs/dFC values is greatly exaggerated. Further inves-
1648 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649

Fig. 14. The effect of different cylindrical inlet lengths on system volumetric effectiveness of a system comprising a single
bank of ACHEs.

tigation is required as it is not clear why the results of the current investigation differ from that of
Duvenhage et al. [5].

5. Conclusions

The numerical models used in the current investigation yield results that are consistent with
those reported from earlier experimental investigations, most notably that of Salta and Kröger
[4] and Duvenhage et al. [5]. The current investigation thus adequately demonstrates the useful-
ness of these models to investigate large-scale ACHE installations that are characteristically dif-
ficult to investigate experimentally.

5.1. Systems comprising two banks of ACHEs

• The inlet flow losses experienced by the first row of fans are dominated by the separation of
flow around the fan inlet bell-mouth whilst the inlet flow losses experienced by the second
fan are largely due to oblique flow into the fan with little to no separation occurring around
the fan inlet section.
• The addition of a walkway to the inlet section of the fan platform improves the volumetric
effectiveness of both fans with the improvements being more pronounced at lower fan platform
heights. At higher platforms heights the improvements are due to the prevention of a region of
separated flow around the fan inlet bell-mouth and at lower platform heights they are due to
the absence of regions of circulating flow within the fan inlet sections close to the fan blades.
 C.J. Meyer / Applied Thermal Engineering 25 (2005) 1634–1649 1649

• Removal of the fan inlet bell-mouths improves the volumetric effectiveness of the first fan, espe-
cially at lower platform heights, indicating that flow separation around the fan inlet bell-mouth
plays a significant role in the flow losses experienced by the first fan. The volumetric effective-
ness of the second fan is reduced with the removal of the fan inlet bell-mouth.
• The highest system volumetric effectiveness across the range of fan platform heights investi-
gated is obtained by removing the bell-mouth fan inlet section of the first fan whilst retaining
the inlet section for the second fan.

5.2. Systems comprising a single bank of ACHEs

• The numerical results confirm the experimental data of Duvenhage et al. [5] and demonstrate
that, over the range of platform heights tested, the volumetric effectiveness of a system using a
cylindrical fan inlet section is higher than one using a bell-mouth inlet section whilst the volu-
metric effectiveness of the latter is again higher than that of a system utilizing a conical fan inlet
section.
• The optimum length of the cylindrical fan inlet section as found numerically and experimentally
by Duvenhage et al. [5] does not agree with the result of the current numerical investigation and
further investigation is thus needed.

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