Heat Transfer Enhancement in a Gyroid-Structured Compact Heat Exchanger Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Abstract:

This study examines the influence of a gyroid-based triply periodic minimal surface TPMS on heat transfer enhancement and flow resistance characteristics in plate heat exchangers PHE, in comparison with conventional chevron-type plates. This concept is biomimetically inspired by complex natural geometries, such as those found in coral and radiolarians' structures. The clear novelty of this work lies in the development and CFD-assessment of a gyroid TPMS-based plate heat exchanger, and in its direct performance comparison with a conventional chevron design under identical operating conditions. A three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD model of a gyroid-structured plate heat exchanger was developed and numerically investigated for Reynolds number Re ranging from 1000 to 2500, under consistent thermal and hydraulic boundary conditions, using ANSYS Fluent R19. The simulations were performed on a representative unit cell to reduce computational cost while preserving geometric periodicity. The proposed geometry was designed as a fully three-dimensional model using SolidWorks. The SST k–ω turbulence model was employed due to its robustness in predicting near-wall and separated flows. A grid independence study was conducted to ensure solution accuracy and numerical stability. Furthermore, the model was validated against previously published data to confirm its reliability. The results indicate that the gyroid TPMS configuration offers an improved thermo-hydraulic performance, achieving a 35.24% enhancement in the Nusselt number Nu compared to a smooth channel, while maintaining a moderate pressure drop ΔP. In addition, an overall performance improvement of 16.85% was observed relative to a conventional chevron-type PHE β = 30°, demonstrating the potential of TPMS-based designs for advanced heat exchanger applications.

• Periodical: International Journal of Engineering Research in Africa (Volume 80)
• Pages: 59-80
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-8Yfn9E
• Online since: July 2026
• Authors: Sirine Chtourou*, Souhir Hammami, Jaweher Hamden, Fatma Kriaa, Mohamed Amine Abidi, Ghassen Mahdi, Mounir Baccar
• Keywords: Ansys Fluent R19, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Gyroid, Performance, SolidWorks, Triply Periodic Minimal Surface

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