Convective heat transfer in cross-corrugated triangular ducts under uniform heat flux boundary conditions

Abstract

Cross-corrugated triangular ducts provide high heat mass transfer capabilities in membrane based air-to-air heat mass exchangers. The mixing effect would intensify the convective heat mass transfer coefficients on membrane surfaces. In this study, the fluid flow and convective heat transfer in a cross-corrugated triangular duct under uniform heat flux boundary condition is modeled and experimentally studied. A low Reynolds number k– ω (LKW) turbulence model is employed to account for the turbulence in the flow. Heat transfer experiments and high speed hot wire anemometry technology are used to validate the model. The transitional behavior of fluid flow in the duct is disclosed by velocity measurements and Fourier transforms. Correlations are provided for estimation of the pressure drop and the mean Nusselt numbers under uniform heat flux boundary conditions. The established correlations can be extended to estimate the convective mass transfer coefficients through heat mass analogy.