Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Composite Lattice Core Sandwich Structures

Abstract

The fluid flow and heat transfer performance of composite lattice truss core sandwich structures with a constant localized internal heat source are numerically investigated under conditions of forced water convection for a wide range of Reynolds numbers. Three kinds of heat transfer methods are adopted: normal convective heat transfer, incident flow enhancement, and column support enhancement. The local thermal and fluid flow characteristics for this structure are analyzed to reveal the heat transfer mechanism, verifying that the multiform local vortical structures greatly contribute to the improvement in heat transfer efficiency. The heat transfer performance is characterized and assessed in terms of the thermal field distribution and the nondimensional heat transfer parameters of structure. In comparison with other heat dissipation media, a significant advantage is displayed for the comprehensive heat transfer performance of the structures. Much improvement and development space remain for the structural heat transfer performance, even for the achievement of multifunctional integration.