Heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics in a corrugated duct with rounded corners

Abstract

Heat transfer and pressure drop responses of a corrugated duct with rounded corners were determined numerically. The duct boundaries were approximated by a cosine function. Computations were carried out for a Prandtl number of 0.7, in the Reynolds number range from 100 to 1000, for three assigned corrugation angles, and for four values of aspect ratios. Rounding of the corners resulted in a decrease of friction factor and Nusselt number. Heat transfer performance of a duct with rounded corners was compared to a straight duct and to a duct with sharp corners under three different constraints: fixed pumping power, fixed pressure drop, and fixed mass flow. The heat transfer rates decreased or increased depending on the specific conditions.