Finite element solutions of laminar flow and heat transfer of air in a staggered and an in-line tube bank

Abstract

A finite element method is used to solve the full Navier-Stokes and energy equations for the problems of laminar flow and heat transfer characteristics of air around three isothermal heated horizontal cylinders in a staggered tube bank and around four isothermal heated horizontal cylinders in an in line tube bank. The variations of surface shear stress, pressure and Nusselt number are obtained over the entire cylinder surface, including the zone beyond the separation point. The predicted values of total drag, pressure drag and friction drag coefficients, average Nusselt number, and the plots of velocity flow fields and isotherms are also presented.