Effects of Junction Flow on the Free Convection Heat Transfer of a Heated Vertical Plate

Abstract

The present study covers results of non-stationary numerical simulation of three-dimensional flow in the junction region of a low aspect ratio circular cylinder entirely immerged in laminar free convection boundary layer developing over a heated vertical plate. To categorize the effects of the cylinder surface temperature on the dynamics behavior of the forming vortical structure, its size and position both upstream and downstream of the cylinder the results, which prove the presence of a complex coherent vortical structure, are analyzed. In particular, the influence of horseshoe vortex system formed upstream of the cylinder on the free convection heat transfer of the heated vertical plate in the junction area is evaluated. Finally, the importance of the forming vortical structure on the heat transfer computation for the junction region is demonstrated.