Heat transfer in the entrance region with fully developed turbulent flow between parallel plates

Abstract

An analysis is made of local heat transfer in a thermal entrance region with a fully developed turbulent velocity profile for various Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. Difference methods are used to solve the energy equation. The velocity and eddy diffusivities are described by semi-empirical relationships. The geometrical picture is simple: flow between parallel plates, one of which is thermally insulated, the other transmits a known heat flux. Certain comparisons with calculations on laminar flow are made as a check on the reliability of the numerical method. This also provides an estimate of the influence of turbulence in the various cases and gives a possibility of judging the validity of approximations. Finally a comparison with available empirical expressions for fully developed heat transfer is shown.