Effect of non-uniform heating on conjugate heat transfer and entropy generation characteristics within a partially filled porous corrugated channel

Abstract

The persistence of the present numerical investigation is to evaluate the thermal and total entropy generation characteristics of flow within a partially filled porous wavy channel with finite wall thickness subjected to non-uniform wall heat flux. The average Nusselt number and the total entropy generation increase with the permeability value of the porous medium (Da) irrespective of asymmetric wall heat flux amplitude and wavelength as well as with the variation in thickness ratio and thermal conductivity value of the solid substrate. However, the total irreversibility decreases for a high Darcy number value when the phase angle between the applied heat fluxes is varied. Moreover, the average Nusselt number decreases up to a critical value of phase angle followed by a gradual increment for Da = 10−5 and 10−3, respectively. On the contrary, the reverse trend can be seen for Da = 10−1. The optimal choice of nonuniform heat flux amplitude, wavelength, and phase angle for a high heat transfer rate with minimum irreversibility generation is found to be 10 W/cm2, 5 mm, and 180°, respectively for a thickness ratio of 0.5 and thermal conductivity value of 646.07 W/m·K independent of Darcy number.