Fluid motion in a corrugated curved channel

Abstract

In this paper, pressure driven flow between two corrugated curved walls is analyzed. The combined effects of the corrugations and the radius of curvature of the channel on the fluid flow are investigated using the boundary perturbation method. The results show that the peak of the velocity increases with the radius of curvature and the width of the channel for a constant pressure gradient. The flow rate is increased by the corrugations for any phase difference between the corrugated curved walls depending on the corrugation wavenumber and the channel radius of curvature. For a sufficiently large corrugation wavenumber, the flow rate decreases, and the phase difference becomes irrelevant. However, the reduction in flow can be minimized by decreasing the channel radius of curvature. In general, a smooth curved channel will give the maximum flow rate for large corrugation wavenumber. The results of this study are consistent with those of a corrugated straight channel flow for sufficiently large radius of curvature.