Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Natural Convection Heat Transfer in Horizontal Elliptic Annuli

Author(s):  
Ramadan Y. Sakr ◽  
Nabil S. Berbish ◽  
Ali A. Abd-Aziz ◽  
Abdalla Said Hanafi

Experimental and numerical studies for natural convection in two dimensional regions formed by a constant flux heat horizontal elliptic tube concentrically located in a larger, isothermally cooled horizontal cylinder were investigated. Both ends of the annulus are closed. Experiments were carried out for the Rayleigh number based on the equivalent annulus gap length ranges from 1.12x107 up to 4.92x107; the elliptic tube orientation angle varies from 0o to 90o and the hydraulic radius ratio, HRR, was 6.4. These experiments were carried out for the axis ratio of an elliptic tube (minor/major=b/c) of 1:3. The numerical simulation for the problem is carried out by using commercial CFD code. The effects of the orientation angle as well as other parameters such as elliptic cylinder axis ratio and hydraulic radius ratio on the flow and heat transfer characteristics are investigated numerically. The numerical simulations covered a range of elliptic tube axis ratios from 0.1 to 0.98 and for the hydraulic radius ratios from 1.5 to 6.4. The results showed that the average Nusselt number increases as the orientation angle of the elliptic cylinder increases from 0o (the major axis is horizontal) to 90o (the major axis is vertical) and with the Rayleigh number as well. Also, the average Nusselt number decreases with the increase of the hydraulic radius ratio. An increase up to 1.75 and further increases in the hydraulic radius ratio leads to an increase in the average Nusselt number. The axis ratio of the elliptic cylinder has an insignificant effect on the average Nusselt number. Both the average and local Nusselt number from the experimental results are compared with those obtained from the CFD code.Both the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics for different operating and geometric conditions are illustrated velocity vectors and isotherm contours that were obtained from the CFD code. Also, two correlation equations that relate the average Nusslet number with the Rayleigh number, orientation angle, and hydraulic radius ratio and axis ratio are obtained.

1997 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 709-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Badr

The problem of two-dimensional natural convection heat transfer from a straight tube of elliptic cross section is investigated. The tube, which has an isothermal surface, is placed with its axis horizontal in an initially quiescent fluid of infinite extent. The velocity and thermal fields are obtained by studying the time development of these fields following a sudden increase of the tube surface temperature until reaching steady state. The study is based on the solution of the full conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy with no boundary layer simplifications. The paper focuses on the effects of the tube orientation, axis ratio, and Rayleigh number while keeping the Prandtl number unchanged (Pr = 0.7). The study revealed that the maximum average Nusselt number is obtained when the tube major axis is vertical. Within the range of axis ratios considered (Ar = 0.4 to 0.98), smaller Ar resulted in higher heat transfer rate in most cases. Higher Rayleigh number leads to higher velocities and also higher local and average Nusselt numbers in all cases considered. The details of the steady flow and thermal fields are presented in the form of local Nusselt number and surface vorticity distributions as well as streamline and isotherm patterns for some selected cases.


Author(s):  
Salaika Parvin ◽  
Nepal Chandra Roy ◽  
Litan Kumar Saha ◽  
Sadia Siddiqa

A numerical study is performed to investigate nanofluids' flow field and heat transfer characteristics between the domain bounded by a square and a wavy cylinder. The left and right walls of the cavity are at constant low temperature while its other adjacent walls are insulated. The convective phenomena take place due to the higher temperature of the inner corrugated surface. Super elliptic functions are used to transform the governing equations of the classical rectangular enclosure into a system of equations valid for concentric cylinders. The resulting equations are solved iteratively with the implicit finite difference method. Parametric results are presented in terms of streamlines, isotherms, local and average Nusselt numbers for a wide range of scaled parameters such as nanoparticles concentration, Rayleigh number, and aspect ratio. Several correlations have been deduced at the inner and outer surface of the cylinders for the average Nusselt number, which gives a good agreement when compared against the numerical results. The strength of the streamlines increases significantly due to an increase in the aspect ratio of the inner cylinder and the Rayleigh number. As the concentration of nanoparticles increases, the average Nusselt number at the internal and external cylinders becomes stronger. In addition, the average Nusselt number for the entire Rayleigh number range gets enhanced when plotted against the volume fraction of the nanofluid.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sattar Aljobair ◽  
Akeel Abdullah Mohammed ◽  
Israa Alesbe

Abstract The natural convection heat transfer and fluid flow characteristic of water based Al2O3 nano-fluids in a symmetrical and unsymmetrical corrugated annulus enclosure has been studied numerically using CFD. The inner cylinder is heated isothermally while the outer cylinder is kept constant cold temperature. The study includes eight models of corrugated annulus enclosure with constant aspect ratio of 1.5. The governing equations of fluid motion and heat transfer are solved using stream-vorticity formulation in curvilinear coordinates. The range of solid volume fractions of nanoparticles extends from PHI=0 to 0.25, and Rayleigh number varies from 104 to 107. Streamlines, isotherms, local and average Nusselt number of inner and outer cylinder has been investigated in this study. Sixty-four correlations have been deduced for the average Nusselt number for the inner and outer cylinders as a function of Rayleigh number have been deduced for eight models and five values of volume fraction of nano particles with an accuracy range 6-12 %. The results show that, the average heat transfer rate increases significantly as particle volume fraction and Rayleigh number increase. Also, increase the number of undulations in unsymmetrical annuli reduces the heat transfer rates which remain higher than that in symmetrical annuli. There is no remarkable change in isotherms contour with increase of volume fraction of nanofluid.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 1634-1642
Author(s):  
Syed Fazuruddin ◽  
Seelam Sreekanth ◽  
G Sankara Sekhar Raju

An exhaustive numerical investigation is carried out to analyze the role of an isothermal heated thin fin on fluid flow and temperature distribution visualization in an enclosure. Natural convection within square enclosures finds remarkable pragmatic applications. In the present study, a finite difference approach is performed on two-dimensional laminar flow inside an enclosure with cold side walls and adiabatic horizontal walls. The fluid flow equations are reconstructed into vorticity - stream function formulation and these equations are employed utilizing the finite-difference strategy with incremental time steps. The parametric study includes a wide scope of Rayleigh number, Ra, and inclination angle ϴ of the thin fin. The effect of different Rayleigh numbers ranging Ra = 104-106 with Pr=0.71 for all the inclination angles from 0°-360° with uniform rotational length of angle 450 of an inclined heated fin on fluid flow and heat transfer have been investigated. The heat transfer rate within the enclosure is measured by means of local and average Nusselt numbers. Regardless of inclination angles of the thin fin, a slight enhancement in the average Nusselt number is observed when Rayleigh number increased for both the cases of the horizontal and vertical position of the thin fin. When the fin has inclined no change in average Nusselt number is noticed for distinct Rayleigh numbers.


Author(s):  
Tooraj Yousefi ◽  
Sajjad Mahmoodi Nezhad ◽  
Masood Bigharaz ◽  
Saeed Ebrahimi

Steady state two-dimensional free convection heat transfer in a partitioned cavity with adiabatic horizontal and isothermally vertical walls and an adiabatic partition has been investigated experimentally. The experiments have been carried out using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The effects of the angel of the adiabatic partition and Rayleigh number on the heat transfer from the heated wall are investigated. Experiments are performed for the values of Rayleigh number based on the cavity side length in the range between 1.5×105 to 4.5×105 and various angle of the partition with respect to horizon from 0° to 90°. The results indicate that at each angle of the adiabatic partition, by increasing the Rayleigh number, the average Nusselt number and heat transfer increase and at each Rayleigh number, the maximum and the minimum heat transfer occur at θ=45° and θ=90°, respectively. A correlation based on the experimental data for the average Nusselt number of the heated wall as a function of Rayleigh number and the angel of the adiabatic partition is presented in the aforementioned ranges.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 1950105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Ma ◽  
Zhigang Yang

Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) was used to simulate two-dimensional MHD Al2O3/water nanofluid flow and heat transfer in an enclosure with a semicircular wall and a triangular heating obstacle. The effects of nanoparticle volume fraction ([Formula: see text]), Rayleigh number [Formula: see text], Hartmann number [Formula: see text] and heating obstacle position (Cases 1–7) on flow pattern, temperature distribution and rate of heat transfer were investigated. The results show that with the enhancing Rayleigh number, the increasing nanoparticle volume fraction and the reducing Hartmann number, an enhancement in the average Nusselt number and the heat transfer appeared. The effect of Ha on the average Nu increases by increasing the Ra. It can also be found that the action of changing the heating obstacle position on the convection heat transfer is more important than that on the conduction heat transfer. The higher obstacle position in Cases 6 and 7 leads to the small value of the average Nusselt number. Moreover, the effect of Ha on average Nu in Case 1 at [Formula: see text] is more significant than other cases because the flow pattern in Case 1 is changed as increasing Ha.


Author(s):  
Zhihua Li ◽  
Jane Davidson ◽  
Susan Mantell

The use of streamlined tubes to reduce pressure drop across polymer tube bundles is considered because of the relative ease of fabrication. The drag and convective heat transfer coefficients along the outer surface of lenticular and elliptical tubes with minor-to-major axis ratios of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.8 are determined numerically for cross-flow Reynolds numbers from 500 to 10,000. An isothermal surface is assumed. The two-dimensional, unsteady Navier-Stokes equations and energy equation are solved using the finite volume method. Laminar flow is assumed from the front stagnation point up to the point of separation. Turbulent flow in the wake is resolved using the shear stress transport k-omega model. Local heat transfer, pressure and friction coefficients as well as a total drag coefficient and average Nusselt number are presented. The results for streamlined tubes are compared to published data for circular and elliptical cylinders. Drag of the elliptical and lenticular cylinders is similar and lower than a circular cylinder. Reductions in drag may be increased by making the streamlined cylinders more slender. Over the range of Reynolds number considered, an elliptical cylinder with an axis ratio equal to 0.5 reduces pressure drop by 30 to 40 percent compared to that of a circular cylinder. The lenticular and elliptical geometries have nearly identical average of Nusselt number. The average Nusselt number of an elliptical or lenticular cylinder with axis ratio of 0.5 and 0.3 is 15 to 35% lower than that of a circular cylinder. A case study for an automotive radiator is presented to illustrate comparison of shaped and circular tubes in terms of both heat transfer and pressure drop.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (suppl.2) ◽  
pp. 283-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Mahmoodi ◽  
Arani Abbasian ◽  
Sebdani Mazrouei ◽  
Saeed Nazari ◽  
Mohammad Akbari

The problem of free convection fluid flow and heat transfer in a square cavity with a flush mounted heat source on its bottom wall and two heat sinks on its vertical side walls has been investigated numerically. Via changing the location of the heat sinks, six different arrangements have been generated. The cavity was filled with Cu-water nanofluid. The governing equations were discretized using the finite volume method and SIMPLER algorithm. Using the developed code, a parametric study was undertaken, and effects of Rayleigh number, arrangements of the heat sinks and volume fraction of the nanoparticles on fluid flow and heat transfer inside the cavity were investigated. Also for the middle-middle heat sinks arrangement, capability of five different water based nanofluids on enhancement of the rate of heat transfer was examined and compared. From the obtained results it was found that the average Nusselt number, for all six different arrangements of the heat sinks, was an increasing function of the Rayleigh number and the volume fraction of the nanoparticles. Also it was found that at high Rayleigh numbers, maximum and minimum average Nusselt number occurred for middle-middle and top-bottom arrangement, respectively. Moreover it was found that for the middle-middle arrangement, at high Rayleigh numbers, maximum and minimum rate of heat transfer was obtained by Cu-water and TiO2-water nanofluids respectively.


Author(s):  
Qiang Sun ◽  
Ioan Pop

Purpose – Steady-state free convection heat transfer and fluid flow of Cu-water nanofluid is investigated within a porous tilted right-angle triangular enclosure. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The flush mounted heater with finite size is placed on one right-angle wall. The temperature of the inclined wall is lower than the heater, and the rest of walls are adiabatic. The governing equations are obtained based on the Darcy's law, and the nanofluid model adopted is that by Tiwari and Das. The transformed dimensionless governing equations were solved numerically by finite difference method, and the solution for algebraic equations was obtained through successive under relaxation method. Findings – Investigations were made as the tilted angle of the cavity varies within under different values of Rayleigh number for a porous medium with and solid volume fraction parameter of Cu-water nanofluid with. It is found that the maximum value of the average Nusselt number is achieved with the highest Rayleigh number when the tilted angle of the cavity is 150°, while the minimum value of the average Nusselt number is obtained with the lowest Rayleigh number when the tilted angle of the cavity locates at 240°. As soon as the flow convection in the cavity is not significant, increasing can improve the value of, but opposite effects appear when flow convection becomes stronger. Originality/value – The present results are new and original for the heat transfer and fluid flow in a porous tilted triangle enclosure filled by Cu-water nanofluid. The results would benefit scientists and engineers to become familiar with the flow behaviour of such nanofluids, and the way to predict the properties of this flow for possibility of using nanofluids in advanced nuclear systems, in industrial sectors including transportation, power generation, chemical sectors, ventilation, air-conditioning, etc.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barik AL-Muhjaa ◽  
Khaled Al-Farhany

The characteristics of the conjugate natural convection of (Al2O3-water) nanofluid inside differentially heated enclosure is numerically analyzed using COMSOL Multiphysics (5.3a). The enclosure consists of two vertical walls, the left wall has a thickness and maintain at a uniform hot temperature, while the opposite wall at cold temperature and the horizontal walls are isolated. A high thermal conductivity thin baffle has been added on the insulated bottom wall at a different inclination angles. The effect of the volume fractions of nanoparticles (f), Rayleigh number (Ra), solid wall thermal conductivity ratio (Kr), baffle incline angles (Ø) and the thickness of solid wall (D) on the isothermal lines, fluid flow patterns and the average Nusselt number (Nu)  has been investigated. At low Rayleigh number (Ra=103 to 104) the Isothermal lines are parallel with the vertical wall which is characteristic of conduction heat transfer. on the other hand, when Rayleigh number increase to (Ra=106),  the isotherms lines distribution in the inner fluid become parallel curves with the adiabatic horizontal walls of the enclosure and smooth in this case convection heat transfer becomes dominant. As the Rayleigh number further increases, the average Nusselt number enhance because of buoyancy force become stronger. In addition, the fluid flow within the space is affected by the presence of a fin attached to the lower wall that causes blockage and obstruction of flow near the hot wall, hence the recirculation cores become weak and effect on the buoyant force. The maximum value of the stream function can be noticed in case of nanofluid at (Ø=60), whereas they decrease when (Ø > 60), where the baffle obstruction causing decreases in flow movement. So that the left region temperature increases which cause reduction of the convective heat transfer by the inner fluid temperatures. This is an indication of enhancing of insulation. When the inclination angle increases (Ø >90), the baffle obstruction on flow and fluid resistance becomes smaller and the buoyancy strength increase, as a result, the heat transfer is increasing in this case. As a result of increasing the thermal conductivity from 1 to 10, an increase in the amount of heat transferred through the solid wall to the internal fluid have been noticed. This change can be seen in the isothermal lines, also, there was growth and an increase in the temperature gradient. The increasing of wall thickness from (D=0.1 to 0.4) leads to reduce the intensive heating through the solid wall as well as small heat transferred to the inner fluid. Therefore, it can be noticed that when the wall thickness increases the stream function decrease.


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