Heat Transfer Measurements Using the Hybrid Heat Transfer Technique With Thermally Adiabatic and Participating Ribs

Abstract

This work is focused on the application of a number of improvements to the traditional transient thermochromic liquid crystals technique, in particular the hybrid heat transfer experiment, in order to provide more detailed and accurate measurements of the surface heat transfer coefficient in internal cooling passages. More accurate measurements of heat transfer coefficient are necessary to provide a clearer understanding of the performance of the cooling channels and to not misrepresent the channel performance so that more optimal designs and progress can be achieved. Detailed Nusselt number measurements were performed for a square channel with ribs on one wall in the Reynolds number range of 50 000 to 150 000, based on channel hydraulic diameter, using the transient thermochromic liquid crystals technique. The rib aspect ratio is 1:1, the rib height-to-hydraulic diameter ratio is 0.10, the rib-pitch–to–rib-height ratio is 10, and the ribs are oriented orthogonal to the streamwise direction. Heat transfer measurements were taken on all four walls so that the bulk temperature variation throughout the channel during the experiment can also be taken into account. Adiabatic and aluminum ribs were used simultaneously. The recently developed Coupled 0D-1D model is used to resolve the average heat transfer of the metallic rib features. A comparison of the data obtained using adiabatic and metallic rib features is made to quantify experimentally the influence of the rib-induced contamination. Friction augmentation, overall heat transfer augmentation, and overall thermal performance are also reported.