Heat transfer enhancement in a slot channel via a transversely oscillating adiabatic circular cylinder

Abstract

Heat transfer enhancement in a uniformly heated slot channel due to vortices shed from a transversely oscillating adiabatic circular cylinder is investigated. Effects of the cylinder motion and vortex shedding on heat transfer are systematically assessed by varying the cylinder oscillation frequency from 75% to 125% of the natural vortex shedding frequency of a fixed cylinder within the same domain. Numerical simulations at Re = 100 and 0.1 ⩽ Pr ⩽ 10 are performed using spectral element discretization of Navier–Stokes and energy equations in a moving domain based on an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian formulation. Results within the thermally developing flow region show heat transfer enhancement due to the placement of a stationary cylinder compared to the straight channel case. Transverse oscillations of the cylinder further increase the wall heat transfer coefficient. Pumping power in the channel and the power necessary to oscillate the cylinder is also provided for comparisons. Cylinder oscillations with 75% of the natural vortex shedding frequency is shown to yield the best results with only 10% more power to pump the fluid, compared with the fixed cylinder case.