Numerical analysis has been carried out to investigate air-side convective heat transfer characteristics in a compact heat exchanger with circular tubes and continuous plate fins. Simulation results such as air velocity and temperature distributions are presented, and heat transfer coefficients are compared with previous experimental correlations. Three models of standard and RNG $k-{varepsilon}$, and Reynolds stress are applied for turbulence model applicability. Predicted heat transfer coefficient from the models of standard and RNG $k-{varepsilon}$ are very close to those of the heat transfer correlations while there are relatively large difference, more than 17 percentage in the result from the Reynolds stress model. From the calculated results a correlation for Colburn j factor in the compact heat exchanger system is suggested.