Improved asymptotic expansion method for laminar fluid flow and heat transfer in conical gaps with disks rotating

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to study laminar fluid flow and convective heat transfer in a conical gap at small conicity angles up to 4° for the case of disk rotation with a fixed cone.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the improved asymptotic expansion method developed by the author was applied to the self-similar Navier–Stokes equations. The characteristic Reynolds number ranged from 0.001 to 2.0, and the Prandtl numbers ranged from 0.71 to 10.FindingsCompared to previous approaches, the improved asymptotic expansion method has an accuracy like the self-similar solution in a significantly wider range of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. Including radial thermal conductivity in the energy equation at small conicity angle leads to insignificant deviations of the Nusselt number (maximum 1.23%).Practical implicationsThis problem has applications in rheometry to experimentally determine viscosity of liquids, as well as in bioengineering and medicine, where cone-and-disk devices serve as an incubator for nurturing endothelial cells.Social implicationsThe study can help design more effective devices to nurture endothelial cells, which regulate exchanges between the bloodstream and the surrounding tissues.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, novel approximate analytical solutions were obtained for the radial, tangential and axial velocity components, flow swirl angle on the disk, tangential stresses on both surfaces, as well as static pressure, which varies not only with the Reynolds number but also across the gap. These solutions are in excellent agreement with the self-similar solution.