The Aspect Ratio Effect on Natural Convection in an Enclosure With Protruding Heat Sources

1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 883-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Keyhani ◽  
L. Chen ◽  
D. R. Pitts

The aspect ratio effect on natural convection heat transfer in a rectangular enclosure with protruding heat sources has been experimentally investigated. Five protruding heaters were mounted with uniform vertical spacing on one vertical wall. The vertical wall opposite to the wall on which heated sections were mounted was movable so that the enclosure width could be adjusted to the desired value. The top surface of the test enclosure was an isothermal heat sink. All other surfaces except the two end vertical surfaces were insulated. The five heaters were identical with each having horizontal protuberance of L3 = 9 mm and vertical height of L1 = 15 mm. The vertical spacing between the heaters was L2 = 15 mm. The enclosure width was varied in experiments from W = 13.5 mm to 45 mm. The experiments were conducted for six values of cavity width resulting in variations in the cavity height-to-width ratios (aspect ratios) and cavity width-to-protruding heater height ratios of 3.67 to 12.22 and 1.5 to 5.0, respectively. Ethylene glycol was used as the convective medium. Flow visualization pictures and heat transfer data indicate that the starting point of core flow directly affects the local heat transfer coefficient of the bottom heater, while the secondary flow cell between the top heated section and the top sink surface influences the heat transfer coefficient of the top heater. Cavity width variation influences the heat transfer process mainly through altered flow patterns. This influence is weak when the ratio of width-to-protruding height is 4.0 and negligible when this ratio is 5.0 or more. Based on the local height length scale (measured from the bottom of the cavity) the data for all the cavity widths are correlated and an explicit relation for the aspect ratio effect on local Nusselt number is reported. The correlation of local Nusselt number versus local modified Rayleigh number is independent of the number of heaters in the vertical array, cavity width-to-heater protrusion height ratio, W/L3, and vertical height location of the heaters. This conclusion is based on the present results and previously reported data and is valid for the following conditions: 1.5 ≤ W/L3 ≤ 5.0; 3.67 ≤ aspect ratio ≤ 1.22; vertical height of heater from 8 to 15 mm; and number of heated sections from 5 to 10.

1989 ◽  
Vol 111 (4) ◽  
pp. 268-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Carmona ◽  
M. Keyhani

The width effect on natural convection heat transfer due to discrete flush-heated sections of equal height in an enclosure cooled from the top is experimentally investigated. Five heated sections are uniformly distributed along a vertical side wall, where the height of the unheated sections is equal to that of the heated sections. All other vertical surfaces and the bottom plate are insulated. The experiments are conducted for six values of cavity width resulting in a variation in the cavity height-to-width ratio (aspect ratio) of 3.67 to 12.22. Ethylene glycol and FC-75 (a dielectric fluid) are used as the convective media. The flow visualization results with ethylene glycol reveal a fairly inactive core flow at low power inputs and small cavity width. Higher values of the power input and cavity width transforms a rather well structured core flow into a time dependent one with higher horizontal velocities toward the “hot” wall. For a given cavity width, it is found that the heat transfer results for all the heated sections can be unified and presented by a single correlation through use of a local height as the length scale. The local height of a given heated section is measured from the bottom of the cavity to the mid-height of that section. Based on the local height length scale the data for all the cavity widths are correlated and an explicit relation for the aspect ratio effect on local Nusselt number is reported. The data indicate that an increase in the cavity width results in an increase in the heat transfer coefficients of the heated sections. A comparison between ethylene glycol and FC-75 revealed no appreciable Prandtl number effect, which is in agreement with a previously reported prediction. A heat transfer coefficient for the top surface is defined based on the total convective heat flux at this surface and an average temperature difference between the heated sections and the top plate. The results show that for a given heat flux at the top, the highest heat transfer coefficient on this surface is obtained with the lowest cavity width.


Author(s):  
Ridha Jmai ◽  
Brahim Ben Beya ◽  
Taieb Lili

Natural convection in a rectangular cavity with aspect ratio (Ax), partially heated and filled with a nanofluid (Cu-Water) has been studied numerically. Two heat sources with length (B) are placed on the opposite vertical walls; the remainder of the walls is maintained adiabatic while the horizontal walls are brought to a cold temperature. The equations governing the flow are solved using a finite volume home code using a multigrid technique. Among the parameters governing the flow, a detailed study on the effects of the aspect ratio (Ax) and the length of the source (B) on flow and heat transfer rate is given. The results are shown in terms of streamlines and isotherms. It was found that the transfer of heat significantly increases with the aspect ratio (Ax) and the length of the source (B). A correlation expressing the Nusselt number as a function of (Ax) and d is established.


2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayder I. Mohammed ◽  
Donald Giddings

Abstract Heat and mass transfer are investigated numerically with steady-state laminar natural convection through a vertical cylindrical enclosure filled with a liquid-saturated porous medium. The vertical wall is under a constant magnetic field and various durations of periodic heating boundary condition; the top and bottom surfaces are kept at a constant cold temperature. Continuity, momentum, and energy equations are transformed to dimensionless equations. The finite difference approach with the line successive over-relaxation (LSOR) method is used to obtain the computational results. This study covers the heat transfer, the temperature distribution, and the velocity field in the domain under the variation of different parameters. The code used is validated by modifying it to analyze the Nusselt number in the existing experimental literature of Izadpanah et al. (1998, “Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Convective Heat Transfer in a Cylindrical Porous Medium,” Int. J. Heat Fluid Flow, 19(6), pp. 629–635). This work shows that Nusselt number decreases (with varying gradient) as the aspect ratio increases, and that it increases as the Rayleigh number increases. The centerline temperature has a proportional relationship with the heating amplitude and the heating period (as the system receives more heat) and is inversely proportional with Rayleigh number. Increasing the Rayleigh number causes increased convective velocity, which affects the position of the hot region, and causes a decrease in the temperature field. Increasing the aspect ratio results in a warm stream at the center of the cylinder, and when the time period of the heating increases, the circulation becomes faster and the intensity of the temperature contour layers decreases. In this work, a correlation for Nu as a function of the mentioned parameters is developed.


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.


2011 ◽  
Vol 71-78 ◽  
pp. 1187-1190
Author(s):  
Yan Lai Zhang ◽  
Zhong Hao Rao ◽  
Shuang Feng Wang ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Li Jun Li ◽  
...  

This experiment is performed to investigate heat transfer characteristics with the PCM microcapsule slurry in a solid phase state at a horizontal rectangular enclosure heating from below and cooling from top. Some important parameters are taken into account such as the mass concentration of the PCM, the temperature difference between heating plate and cooling plate, Nusselt number Nu, Rayleigh number Ra and the aspect ratio (width/height) of the horizontal rectangular enclosure. Experiment is done under the thermal steady condition in the PCM microcapsule slurry. Heat transfer coefficient is measured under various temperature differences in PCM mass concentrations of 10% and 20%. And relationship with Nusselt number Nu and Rayleigh number Ra is summarized to various heights H or the aspect ratio (width/height) Ar of enclosure.


Author(s):  
Liu Wenhua ◽  
Mo Yang ◽  
Li Ling ◽  
Qiao Liang ◽  
Yuwen Zhang

Turbulent flow and heat transfer in rectangular channel has an important significance in engineering. Conventional approach to caculate Nusselt number of rectangular channel approximately is to take the equivalent diameter as the characteristic length and use the classic circular channel turbulent heat transfer coefficient correlations. However, under these conditions, the caculation error of Nusselt number can reach to 14% and thus this approach can not substantially describe the variation of Nusselt number of rectangular cross-sections with different aspect ratios. Therefore, caculation by using equivalent diameter as the characteristic length in classic experiment formula needs to be corrected. Seven groups of rectangular channel models with different aspect ratios have been studied numerically in this paper. By using standard turbulence model, the flow and heat transfer law of air with varing properties has been studied in 4 different sets of conditions in Reynolds number. The simulation and experimental results are in good agreement. The simulation results show that with the increase of aspect ratio, the cross-sectional average Nusselt number increased, Nusselt number of circumferential wall distributed more evenly and the difference between the infinite plate channel and square channel went up to 25%. The effects of corner region and long\short sides on heat transfer have also been investigated in this paper. Results show that in rectangular channel, heat transfer in corner region is significantly weaker than it in other region. With the increase of aspect ratio, effect on the long side of heat transfer of the short side is gradually reduced, and then eventually eliminates completely in the infinite flat place. Based on the studies above, correction coefficient for rectangular channels with different aspect ratios has been proposed in this paper and the accuracy of the correction coefficient has been varified by numerical simulations. This can reflect the variation of Nusselt number under different aspect ratios more effectively and thus has current significance for project to calculate Nusselt number of heat transfer in rectangular channel.


Author(s):  
K. Takeishi ◽  
T. Nakae ◽  
K. Watanabe ◽  
M. Hirayama

Pin fins are normally used for cooling the trailing edge region of a turbine, where their aspect ratio (height H/diameter D) is characteristically low. In small turbine vanes and blades, however, pin fins may also be located in the middle region of the airfoil. In this case, the aspect ratio can be quite large, usually obtaining values greater than 4. Heat transfer tests, which are conducted under atmospheric conditions for the cooling design of turbine vanes and blades, may overestimate the heat transfer coefficient of the pin-finned flow channel for such long pin fins. The fin efficiency of a long pin fin is almost unity in a low heat transfer situation as it would be encountered under atmospheric conditions, but can be considerably lower under high heat transfer conditions and for pin fins made of low thermal conductivity material. A series of tests with corresponding heat transfer models has been conducted in order to clarify the heat transfer characteristics of the long pin-finned flow channel. It is assumed that heat transfer coefficients can be predicted by the linear combination of two heat transfer equations, which were separately developed for the pin fin surface and for tubes in crossflow. To confirm the suggested combined equations, experiments have been carried out, in which the aspect ratio and the thermal conductivity of the pin were the test parameters. To maintain a high heat transfer coefficient for a long pin fin under high-pressure conditions, the heat transfer was augmented by adding a turbulence promoter on the pin-finned endwall surface. A corresponding equation that describes this situation has been developed. The predicted and measured values showed good agreement. In this paper, a comprehensive study on the heat transfer of a long pin-fin array will be presented.


Author(s):  
James A. Tallman ◽  
Rahul A. Bidkar

Low-leakage film-riding seals are a key enabling technology for utility-scale supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles. Fluid film-riding rotor-stator seals (operating with sCO2 as the working fluid) are designed to track rotor movements and provide effective sealing by maintaining a tight operating clearance (of the order of several microns) from the spinning rotor. Thin film-riding seals generate viscous shear heat during high-speed operation, and the reliable operation of such thin-film seals depends critically on the designer’s ability to control the thermal deformations of the seal/rotor bearing face, which in turn are tied to the designer’s ability to understand and predict the heat transfer across the seal bearing face. In this paper, we develop a simple axisymmetric thermal-mechanical model of a typical face seal to highlight how the uncertainty in heat transfer coefficient (HTC) on the seal bearing face drives uncertainty in seal deformation predictions, especially when the HTCs are an order of magnitude lower than those predicted with duct-based Dittus-Boelter correlations. This uncertainty in seal bearing face HTCs drives the need for an experimental quantification of HTCs in high-aspect ratio thin films associated with low-leakage film-riding seals. In this paper, we describe a non-rotating experimental test rig designed for estimating the HTCs on the seal bearing face using a shim-heater technique along with IR-camera-based temperature measurements. The experimental set-up consists of a thin metal shim (representing the seal bearing face) forming one wall of a pressurized duct with geometric similarity to a typical thin film of a face seal. Pressurized airflow past the shim is used to simulate the flow field expected in a non-rotating seal. The HTC test data for a non-rotating film (as against the actual seal film with rotating fluid) are lower than the actual seal, and establish a lower bound on the HTCs. This is especially useful for bounding the seal deformation uncertainty, which is vulnerable to the HTCs in the low-HTC regime. We present representative test data that is non-dimensionalized using radial-flow-based Reynolds number and compare these HTC estimates both with the predictions of Dittus-Boelter type correlations, and with the predictions of a 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The purpose of the CFD model is to develop a HTC prediction tool for such thin-film surfaces, and the test data are used for validating this predictive model.


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