Numerical study on confined flow over circular tube isolated from the bundle of circular tubes in a compact and widely spaced heat exchangers, to explore the influence of flow shedding frequency under forced convection heat transfer. The flow and heat transfer characteristics such as pressure, frictional and total drag coefficients, skin friction coefficient, Strouhal number, volume goodness factor, convective heat transfer coefficient, Nusselt number and effectiveness are estimated for different dimensionless transverse pitch ratios and Reynolds numbers. The highly confined flow past a circular tube makes the flow steady, highly attached and postponed the flow separation, flow shedding and also advances the laminar to turbulent transition. The increases in flow attachments and transitions have been confirmed by observing the frictional drag and skin friction coefficients and also through various contours respectively. Three different flow shedding nature has been observed when Reynolds number increases at different blockage ratios. It is confirmed that the heat transfer enhancement in compact and widely spaced heat exchanger at blockage ratios less than or equal to 3 does not depend on flow shedding frequency. Also, at low Reynolds number region, the heat transfer enhancement is due to highly attached flow. But the gradual increase in Reynolds number advances laminar to turbulent transition and responsible in heat dissipation. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.