Abstract
Heat transfer can be realized by increasing the surface area with designs in various geometries and sizes in a compact plate heat exchanger (PHE). However, designs with low volume and high heat transfer area cause high pressure drop. In order to overcome this problem, this study examines the pressure drop of a shark-skin-patterned PHE designed using biomimicry approach. The structure of shark skin consists of an array of pulpolites called dermal denticles. This study is carried out for the first time, taking into account the friction-reducing effect of such structure on nonsmooth surfaces. A dermal denticles-patterned PHE is designed for the first time. The numerical results of the dermal denticles-patterned PHE are compared with those of a standard chevron-type PHE. The results of this study show that the heat transfer rate of the dermal denticles-patterned PHE increases by 50% compared to the standard chevron-type PHE. A 72.5% decrease is provided from the pressure drop of the standard chevron-type PHE. The mechanism that causes the reduced pressure drop is discussed in detail in the article.