This paper numerically investigates the effects of buoyancy on fully developed laminar flow in a curved duct with an elliptic cross section. The flow of Newtonian fluids is assumed steady in terms of Boussinesq approximation. The curved elliptic duct is subjected to thermal boundary conditions of axially uniform heat flux and peripherally uniform wall temperature. The numerically generated boundary-fitted coordinate system is applied to discretize the solution domain of the elliptic duct, and the Navier-Stokes equations and the energy equation, including the curvature ratio, are solved by use of the control volume-based finite difference method. The solution covers a wide range of curvature ratios, and Dean and Grashof numbers. The results presented are displayed graphically and in tabular form to illustrate the buoyancy effect. It is further shown that buoyancy acts to increase both the Nusselt number and the friction factor and changes the distribution of the velocity and the temperature. The results for the curved circular duct with and without buoyancy are compared with the data available in the open literature for all cases. Also compared with the published data are the results of laminar flow in a curved elliptic duct, and very good agreement is obtained.
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Effects of Buoyancy on Laminar Flow in Curved Elliptic Ducts
Z. F. Dong,
Z. F. Dong
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199
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M. A. Ebadian
M. A. Ebadian
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199
Search for other works by this author on:
Z. F. Dong
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199
M. A. Ebadian
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199
J. Heat Transfer. Nov 1992, 114(4): 936-943 (8 pages)
Published Online: November 1, 1992
Article history
Received:
June 1, 1991
Revised:
June 1, 1992
Online:
May 23, 2008
Citation
Dong, Z. F., and Ebadian, M. A. (November 1, 1992). "Effects of Buoyancy on Laminar Flow in Curved Elliptic Ducts." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. November 1992; 114(4): 936–943. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2911904
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