Experimental Surface Heat Transfer and Flow Structure in a Curved Channel With Laminar, Transitional, and Turbulent Flows

Abstract

Heat transfer and flow structure are described in a channel with a straight portion followed by a portion with mild curvature at Dean numbers from 100 to 1084. The channel aspect ratio is 40, radius ratio is 0.979, and the ratio of shear layer thickness to channel inner radius is 0.011. The data presented include flow visualizations, and spanwise-averaged Nusselt numbers. Also included are time-averaged turbulence structural data, time-averaged profiles of streamwise velocity, spectra of longitudinal velocity fluctuations, and a survey of the radial time-averaged vorticity component. Different flow events are observed including laminar two-dimensional flow, Dean vortex flow, wavy Dean vortex flow (in both undulating and twisting modes), splitting and merging of Dean vortex pairs, transitional flow with arrays of Dean vortex pairs, and fully turbulent flow with arrays of Dean vortex pairs. Transitional events generally first appear in the curved portion of the channel at Dean numbers less than 350 in the form of arrays of counter-rotating Dean vortex pairs. At Dean numbers greater than 350, transitional events occur in the upstream straight portion of the channel but then continue to cause important variations in the downstream curved portion. The resulting Nusselt number variations with curvature, streamwise development, and Dean number are described as they are affected by these different laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow phenomena.