Heat exchangers are now commonly used in various heating, cooling, and industrial systems. For efficient operation, the way the fluid or other medium (e.g., water, refrigerant, glycol) moves through the exchanger's channels is crucial. One of the key phenomena affecting heat transfer efficiency is turbulent flow—or whether a given exchanger or other device can induce turbulent flow.
Turbulent flow is a type of fluid flow in which particles move in a disordered, chaotic, swirling, and irregular manner. Unlike laminar flow, characterized by smooth, orderly movement of the medium, turbulent flow involves continuous changes in direction and velocity. The medium also mixes during movement—this motion significantly enhances fluid mixing. As a result, turbulent flow translates into more efficient heat transfer.
In heat exchangers, the goal is essentially to maximize thermal energy transfer between two media, preferably while maintaining compact dimensions, low material consumption for production, etc. Turbulent flow significantly improves the efficiency of this process—the chaotic motion of the fluid increases the thermal contact surface and reduces the time needed to equalize temperatures. This allows devices to operate more efficiently, heat up or cool down faster, and potentially consume less energy.
For flow to become turbulent, a specific value called the Reynolds number must be exceeded. This is achieved by appropriately adjusting flow velocity, pipe diameter, and the geometry of the exchanger's channels. In practice, heat exchangers are often designed to ensure turbulent flow within the typical operating range of the device.
This means that heat exchanger plates must be appropriately profiled and corrugated in a carefully designed way to sustain and stimulate turbulent flow.
☑️✅ Most heat exchanger manufacturers claim their devices have corrugated plates—however, this does not necessarily mean they achieve turbulent flow. In most cases, this is purely a marketing tactic, and only proper plate profiling ensures turbulent flow—and that heat transfer is efficient, even at relatively low flow rates.
Turbulent flow is a phenomenon that can significantly improve the efficiency of heat exchangers. Understanding and controlling it are key to designing modern, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. Although it presents certain challenges, its application often proves to be the most cost-effective solution.
We invite you to browse the catalog of heat exchangers with turbulent flow by Nordic Tec.
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