Heating performance enhancement in panel-type radiators based on vortex generators and fin form optimization

Abstract Increasing the heat performance of heating radiators could be a valuable method for building energy conservation. This paper studied the influence of fins on the thermal performance of panel radiators (type 11). The effect of different vortex generator angles, the gap width of discontinuous fins, and different forms of staggered fins have been studied numerically and experimentally. Firstly, the simplified model of the panel radiator was analyzed by CFD simulation, the thermal performance under different geometric parameters was studied, and better geometric parameters were obtained. Research shows that optimizing the parameters of the vortex generator has a positive effect in increasing the heat dissipation of the radiator. Both discontinuous fins and staggered fins can improve the thermal performance of the radiator. The research shows that the fin shape has a significant impact on the heat dissipation of the radiator. The thermal performance of the radiator can be greatly improved by using a vortex generator with specific angles, staggered fins, and discontinuous fins. These technical routes can be directly implemented on the basis of the original radiator, which provides a direction for the technical improvement of this type of radiator.