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RESEARCH PAPERS: Natural and Mixed Convection

Rotational Buoyancy Effects on Heat Transfer in Five Different Aspect-Ratio Rectangular Channels With Smooth Walls and $45Degree$ Ribbed Walls

[+] Author and Article Information
Wen-Lung Fu

Turbine Heat Transfer Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3123

Lesley M. Wright1

Turbine Heat Transfer Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3123

Je-Chin Han

Turbine Heat Transfer Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3123jc-han@tamu.edu

1

Assistant Professor. Current address: Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 87521-0119. Email address: lesley@ame.arizona.edu

J. Heat Transfer 128(11), 1130-1141 (Apr 06, 2006) (12 pages) doi:10.1115/1.2352782 History: Received July 29, 2005; Revised April 06, 2006

Abstract

This paper experimentally studies the effects of the buoyancy force and channel aspect ratio $(W:H)$ on heat transfer in two-pass rotating rectangular channels with smooth walls and $45deg$ ribbed walls. The channel aspect ratios include 4:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4. Four Reynolds numbers are studied: 5000, 10,000, 25,000, and 40,000. The rotation speed is fixed at $550rpm$ for all tests, and for each channel, two channel orientations are studied: $90deg$ and 45 or $135deg$, with respect to the plane of rotation. The maximum inlet coolant-to-wall density ratio $(Δρ∕ρ)inlet$ is maintained around 0.12. Rib turbulators are placed on the leading and trailing walls of the channels at an angle of $45deg$ to the flow direction. The ribs have a 1.59 by $1.59mm$ square cross section, and the rib pitch-to-height ratio $(P∕e)$ is 10 for all tests. Under the fixed rotation speed $(550rpm)$ and fixed inlet coolant-to-wall density ratio (0.12), the local buoyancy parameter is varied with different Reynolds numbers, local rotating radius, local coolant-to-wall density ratio, and channel hydraulic diameter. The effects of the local buoyancy parameter and channel aspect ratio on the regional Nusselt number ratio are presented. The results show that increasing the local buoyancy parameter increases the Nusselt number ratio on the trailing surface and decreases the Nusselt number ratio on the leading surface in the first pass for all channels. However, the trend of the Nusselt number ratio in the second pass is more complicated due to the strong effect of the $180deg$ turn. Results are also presented for this critical turn region of the two-pass channels. In addition to these regions, the channel averaged heat transfer, friction factor, and thermal performance are determined for each channel. With the channels having comparable Nusselt number ratios, the 1:4 channel has the superior thermal performance because it incurs the least pressure penalty.

Figures

Figure 1

Three-dimensional view of the square (AR=1:1) test section

Figure 2

Sample temperature and heat flux distributions in the square channel

Figure 3

Conceptual secondary flow patterns

Figure 4

Regionally averaged Nusselt number distributions for the square channel with smooth and ribbed walls

Figure 5

Channel cross sections considered in the current study

Figure 6

Channel averaged Nusselt number ratios for nonrotating and rotating channels

Figure 7

Overall friction factor ratios for nonrotating and rotating channels

Figure 8

Overall thermal performance for nonrotating and rotating channels

Figure 9

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 4 in the smooth channels (β=90deg)

Figure 10

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 11 in the smooth channels (β=90deg)

Figure 11

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 6 in the smooth channels (β=90deg)

Figure 12

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 7 in the smooth channels (β=90deg)

Figure 13

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 4 in the smooth channels (β=45 or 135deg)

Figure 14

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 11 in the smooth channels (β=45 or 135deg)

Figure 15

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 6 in the smooth channels (β=45 or 135deg)

Figure 16

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 7 in the smooth channels (β=45 or 135deg)

Figure 17

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 4 in the ribbed channels (β=90deg)

Figure 18

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 11 in the ribbed channels (β=90deg)

Figure 19

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 6 in the ribbed channels (β=90deg)

Figure 20

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 7 in the ribbed channels (β=90deg)

Figure 21

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 4 in the ribbed channels (β=45 or 135deg)

Figure 22

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 11 in the ribbed channels (β=45 or 135deg)

Figure 23

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 6 in the ribbed channels (β=45 or 135deg)

Figure 24

Nusselt number ratio comparison at region 7 in the ribbed channels (β=45 or 135deg)

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