Hydrodynamics and thermal characteristics of corrugated channels: computational approach

Abstract

Instead of an empirical pressure drop or heat transfer correlation being applied to the entire flow channel and volume-averaged flow conditions, CFD can be used on a cell-by-cell basis and take into account the local variation of flow and physical properties. Periodicity is used to reduce the complexity of channel geometry and enables the smallest possible segment of the flow channel to be modelled. The periodic segment is considered to be the cell bounded within four adjacent contact points and is recognised by the corrugation angle and pitch-to-height ratio. This paper studies the local hydrodynamic and thermal characteristics of the flow between two identical APV SR3 plates and looks at the effect of corrugation angle on the performance when the plate spacing is fixed.