External Natural Convective Heat Transfer From Bodies Having a Wavy Surface for Conditions Under Which Laminar, Transitional, and Turbulent Flow Can Exist

Abstract

Abstract A review of external natural convective heat transfer from bodies that have a wavy surface is given. Surfaces with waves that have sinusoidal, rectangular, and triangular shapes are considered, and the main attention has been given to situations in which laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow exist. Attention has been given to horizontal, vertical, and inclined surfaces. Most of the results discussed were obtained numerically. The increase in the mean heat transfer rate from the surfaces resulting from the presence of the waves, in particular, has been considered and compared to the increase in the surface area resulting from the use of the surface waves. Generally, it is found that significant increases in the heat transfer rate resulting from the use of a wavy surface only occur at relatively high Rayleigh number values and that the increase in the heat transfer rate is not strongly dependent on the wave shape.