Heat Transfer Enhancement of Laminar Internal Flows Using Electrically-Induced Swirling Effect

Author(s):  
Reza Baghaei Lakeh ◽  
Majid Molki

A computational and experimental approach is conducted to enhance the convective heat transfer in fully developed laminar flow in parallel-plates configuration. Laminar internal flows are associated with unchanging Nusselt number along the channel due to the fully developed condition of the boundary layer. Inducing a swirling effect along the flow can disturb the flow field and enhance the convective heat transfer from the plates to the flow. The interaction between an electrically-induced secondary flow and the pressure-driven main flow complicates the flow field and causes a swirling effect. In this study, the electric field governing equations are solved numerically using finite volume method. In order to obtain a proper boundary condition for the charge density, an experimental setup was utilized to measure the time-averaged corona current. The distribution of electric field and charge density on the cross section of the channel is obtained and adopted to find the electric body-force at each point. The flow field computations are performed with FLUENT CFD code on a three-dimensional model using second-order upwind scheme. The secondary flow field is imposed on the cross section of the channel by corona discharge. An array of emitting and receiving flat electrodes are embedded in the parallel plates to induce a corona jet on the cross section of the channel. The axial component of velocity along with an array of corona jets gives birth to a swirling flow which can significantly enhance the convection coefficient and Nusselt number in the fully developed regime. This investigation indicated that the convective heat transfer can be enhanced up to 173% with an applied potential of 24 kV.

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Vocale ◽  
Gian Luca Morini ◽  
Marco Spiga

In this work, hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed gas flow through elliptical microchannels is numerically investigated. The Navier–Stokes and energy equations are solved by considering the first-order slip flow boundary conditions and by assuming that the wall heat flux is uniform in the axial direction, and the wall temperature is uniform in the peripheral direction (i.e., H1 boundary conditions). To take into account the microfabrication of the elliptical microchannels, different heated perimeter lengths are analyzed along the microchannel wetted perimeter. The influence of the cross section geometry on the convective heat transfer coefficient is also investigated by considering the most common values of the elliptic aspect ratio, from a practical point of view. The numerical results put in evidence that the Nusselt number is a decreasing function of the Knudsen number for all the considered configurations. On the contrary, the role of the cross section geometry in the convective heat transfer depends on the thermal boundary condition and on the rarefaction degree. With the aim to provide a useful tool for the designer, a correlation that allows evaluating the Nusselt number for any value of aspect ratio and for different working gases is proposed.


1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Ebadian ◽  
H. C. Topakoglu ◽  
O. A. Arnas

The convective heat transfer problem along the portion of a tube of elliptic cross section maintained under a constant wall temperature where hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed flow conditions prevail is solved in this paper. The successive approximation method is used for the solution utilizing elliptic coordinates. Analytical expressions for temperature distribution and Nusselt number corresponding to the first cycle of approximation are obtained in terms of the ellipticity of the cross section. In the case of a circular section, the first cycle approximation of the Nusselt number is obtained as 3.7288 compared to the exact value of 3.6568. Representative temperature distribution curves are plotted and compared to those corresponding with constant wall heat flux conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
A. I. Sato ◽  
C. A. C. Altemani ◽  
V. L. Scalon

This work was developed from a review of the technical literature for the thermal design of parallel plates heat sinks with uniform cross section cooled by airflow with the TISE (Top Inlet Side Exit) configuration. Due to an observed lack of agreement of the literature correlations among themselves and also with the available experimental results, numerical simulations were then performed to evaluate the forced convective heat transfer in the channels of these heat sinks with the TISE configuration. The simulations encompassed a range of heatsink airflow rates, considering distinct channel sizes and also the effect of a partial opening for the airflow entrance at the heat sink top. The obtained numerical results were employed to evaluate the average convective heat transfer coefficient inside the heatsink’s channels, based on the flow mixed mean temperature. A new empirical correlation was then proposed for the average Nusselt number as a function of the airflow Reynolds number and three dimensionless channel geometric parameters. The new correlation was compared with available experimental data.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Thomson ◽  
Y. Bayazitoglu ◽  
A. J. Meade

Flow in a torroidal duct is characterized by increased convective heat transfer and friction compared to a straight duct of the same cross section. In this paper the importance of the nonplanarity (torsion) of a helical duct with rectangular cross section is investigated. A previously determined low Dean number velocity solution is used in the decoupled energy equation for the hydrodynamically fully developed, thermally developing case. Torsion, known to increase the friction factor, is found to cause a decrease in the fully developed Nusselt number compared to pure torroidal flow. Therefore, it is recommended that torsion be minimized to enhance heat transfer.


Author(s):  
Reza Baghaei Lakeh ◽  
Majid Molki

Heat transfer in rectangular channels can be significantly enhanced by formation of secondary flows. Secondary flow fields appear within the channels and influence the boundary layer growth and improve the convective heat transfer. When a high potential is applied to two electrodes, the consequent high electric field in the gap between the electrodes may exceed the partial break-down limit of the gas molecules. The neutral gas molecules are ionized close to the emitting electrode and accelerate in the direction of the electric field. The accelerating ions impose an electric body-force to the gas and induce a bulk flow. Depending on the location and geometry of the electrodes, the electrically-induced flow field might have different specifications. If the electrodes are laid on the opposite walls of channel and extended in the longitudinal direction, the electric body-force would cause a secondary flow on the cross section of the channel. The electrically-induced flow field disturbs the boundary layer and enhances the convective heat transfer coefficient. However, the enhancement level is more remarkable in natural convection. In this study, the influence of a corona jet on heat transfer in rectangular channels with flat and longitudinal electrodes will be studied. The emitting and collecting electrodes are metallic strips attached to opposite walls of the channel and are extended along the axis of the channel. The electric field governing equations are solved numerically using finite-volume method and the third-order QUICK scheme is utilized for discretization of the charge fluxes. The distribution of electric field and charge density on the cross section of the channel is obtained to find the electric body-force at each point. In the presence of electric and buoyancy forces, the momentum and energy equations are solved to determine the level of enhancement of convective heat transfer using corona discharge.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
AmirAbbas Sartipi

Domed skylights are important architectural design elements to deliver daylight and solar heat into buildings and connect buildings' occupants to outdoors. To increase the energy efficiency of skylighted buildings, domed skylights employ a number of glazing layers forming enclosed spaces. The latter are subject to complex buoyancy-induced convection heat transfer. Currently, existing fenestration design computer tools and building energy simulation programs do not, however, cover such skylights to quantify their energy performance when installed in buildings. his work presents a numerical study on natural laminar convection within concentric and vertically eccentric domed cavities. The edges of domed cavities are assumed adiabatic and the temperature of the interior and exterior surfaces are uniform and constant. The concentric and vertically eccentric domed cavities were studied when heated from inside and heated from outside, respectively. A commercial CFD package employing the control volume approach is used to solve the laminar convective heat transfer within the cavity. The obtained results showed steady flow for small Grashof numbers. For moderate and large Grashof numbers, depending on the gap ratio and the cases of heating from inside or outside, the flow may be steady or transient periodic with a single vortex-cell or multi vortex-cells. The Nusselt number for the case of heated from inside is greater than the case of heated from outside. The numerical results show that the changes in the gap ratio have smaller effect on Nusselt number in high profile domed skylights than lower profile domed skylights.


1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (4) ◽  
pp. 749-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Nelson ◽  
E. J. Shaughnessy

The enhancement of convective heat transfer by an electric field is but one aspect of the complex thermoelectric phenomena which arise from the interaction of fluid dynamic and electric fields. Our current knowledge of this area is limited to a very few experimental studies. There has been no formal analysis of the basic coupling modes of the Navier–Stokes and Maxwell equations which are developed in the absence of any appreciable magnetic fields. Convective flows in enclosures are particularly sensitive because the limited fluid volumes, recirculation, and generally low velocities allow the relatively weak electric body force to exert a significant influence. In this work, the modes by which the Navier–Stokes equations are coupled to Maxwell’s equations of electrodynamics are reviewed. The conditions governing the most significant coupling modes (Coulombic forces, Joule heating, permittivity gradients) are then derived within the context of a first-order theory of electrohydrodynamics. Situations in which these couplings may have a profound effect on the convective heat transfer rate are postulated. The result is an organized framework for controlling the heat transfer rate in enclosures.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anuj Kumar Shukla ◽  
Anupam Dewan

Purpose Convective heat transfer features of a turbulent slot jet impingement are comprehensively studied using two different computational approaches, namely, URANS (unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations) and SAS (scale-adaptive simulation). Turbulent slot jet impingement heat transfer is used where a considerable heat transfer enhancement is required, and computationally, it is a quite challenging flow configuration. Design/methodology/approach Customized OpenFOAM 4.1, an open-access computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, is used for SAS (SST-SAS k-ω) and URANS (standard k-ε and SST k-ω) computations. A low-Re version of the standard k-ε model is used, and other models are formulated for good wall-refined calculations. Three turbulence models are formulated in OpenFOAM 4.1 with second-order accurate discretization schemes. Findings It is observed that the profiles of the streamwise turbulence are under-predicted at all the streamwise locations by SST k-ω and SST SAS k-ω models, but follow similar trends as in the reported results. The standard k-ε model shows improvements in the predictions of the streamwise turbulence and mean streamwise velocity profiles in the zone of outer wall jet. Computed profiles of Nusselt number by SST k-ω and SST-SAS k-ω models are nearly identical and match well with the reported experimental results. However, the standard k-ε model does not provide a reasonable profile or quantification of the local Nusselt number. Originality/value Hybrid turbulence model is suitable for efficient CFD computations for the complex flow problems. This paper deals with a detailed comparison of the SAS model with URANS and LES for the first time in the literature. A thorough assessment of the computations is performed against the results reported using experimental and large eddy simulations techniques followed by a detailed discussion on flow physics. The present results are beneficial for scientists working with hybrid turbulence models and in industries working with high-efficiency cooling/heating system computations.


2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi-Min Lin ◽  
Liang-Bi Wang

The secondary flow has been used frequently to enhance the convective heat transfer, and at the same flow condition, the intensity of convective heat transfer closely depends on the thermal boundary conditions. Thus far, there is less reported information about the sensitivity of heat transfer enhancement to thermal boundary conditions by using secondary flow. To account for this sensitivity, the laminar convective heat transfer in a circular tube fitted with twisted tape was investigated numerically. The effects of conduction in the tape on the Nusselt number, the relationship between the absolute vorticity flux and the Nusselt number, the sensitivity of heat transfer enhancement to the thermal boundary conditions by using secondary flow, and the effects of secondary flow on the flow boundary layer were discussed. The results reveal that (1) for fully developed laminar heat convective transfer, different tube wall thermal boundaries lead to different effects of conduction in the tape on heat transfer characteristics; (2) the Nusselt number is closely dependent on the absolute vorticity flux; (3) the efficiency of heat transfer enhancement is dependent on both the tube wall thermal boundaries and the intensity of secondary flow, and the ratio of Nusselt number with twisted tape to its counterpart with straight tape decreases with increasing twist ratio while it increases with increasing Reynolds number for both uniform wall temperature (UWT) and uniform heat flux (UHF) conditions; (4) the difference in the ratio between UWT and UHF conditions is also strongly dependent on the conduction in the tape and the intensity of the secondary flow; and (5) the twist ratio ranging from 4.0 to 6.0 does not necessarily change the main flow velocity boundary layer near tube wall, while Reynolds number has effects on the shape of the main flow velocity boundary layer near tube wall only in small regions.


Author(s):  
Guillermo E. Valencia ◽  
Miguel A. Ramos ◽  
Antono J. Bula

The paper describes an experimental procedure performed to obtain the convective heat transfer coefficient of Al2O3 nanofluid working as cooling fluid under turbulent regimen through arrays of aluminum microchannel heat sink having a diameter of 1.2 mm. Experimental Nusselt number correlation as a function of the volume fractions, Reynolds, Peclet and Prandtl numbers for a constant heat flux boundary condition is presented. The correlation for Nusselt number has a good agreement with experimental data and can be used to predict heat transfer coefficient for this specific nanofluid, water/Al2O3. Furthermore, the pressure drop is also analyzed considering the different nanoparticles concentration.


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