Computation of Heat Transfer in Rotating Cavities Using a Two-Equation Model of Turbulence

The paper presents finite-difference predictions for the convective heat transfer in symmetrically heated rotating cavities subjected to a radial outflow of cooling air. An elliptic calculation procedure has been used, with the turbulent fluxes estimated by means of a low Reynolds number k–ε model and the familiar “turbulence Prandtl number” concept. The predictions extend to rotational Reynolds numbers of 3.7 × 10⁶ and encompass cases where the disk temperatures may be increasing, constant, or decreasing in the radial direction. It is found that the turbulence model leads to predictions of the local and average Nusselt numbers for both disks that are generally within ± 10 percent of the values from published experimental data, although there appear to be larger systematic errors for the upstream disk than for the downstream disk. It is concluded that the calculations are of sufficient accuracy for engineering design purposes, but that improvements could be brought about by further optimization of the turbulence model.