Effect of Temperature Dependent Properties and Particle Shape on Heat Transfer in Plasma Flow

Abstract

In this paper, plasma flow over non-spherical particles has been investigated numerically. The conservation equations for mass, momentum, and energy are solved simultaneously using finite volume method. To body-fit the non-spherical particle surface, an adaptive orthogonal grid is generated. The flow field and the temperature distribution are calculated for oblate and prolate particle shapes. A number of particle surface temperatures and far field temperatures are considered and thermophysical property variation is fully accounted for in our model. The shapes are represented in terms of variations in the axis ratio which is defined as the ratio of axis along the flow direction to the axis perpendicular to the flow direction. For oblate shape, axis ratios from 0.4 (disk-like) to 1 (sphere) are used whereas for proate shape, axis ratios of 1 (sphere) to 1.6 (cylinder-like) are used. The computational model is first validated by comparison with results and correlations available in literature for constant property flow. Effects of flow Reynolds number, particle shape, surface and far field temperatures, and variable properties, on the flow field, temperature variations, drag coefficient, and Nusselt number are outlined.