Laminar periodic flow and heat transfer in square channel with 30° inclined baffles

Abstract

A numerical investigation has been carried out to study laminar flow and heat transfer characteristics in a three-dimensional isothermal wall square-channel with 30° staggered angled-baffles. The computations are based on the finite volume method, and the SIMPLE algorithm has been implemented. The fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics are presented for Reynolds numbers based on the hydraulic diameter of the channel ranging from 100 to 1200. To generate a pair of streamwise counter-rotating vortex (P-vortex) flows through the tested channel, the baffles (like rectangular winglet) with the attack angle of 30° are mounted in tandem and staggered arrangement on both upper and lower walls of the test channel. Effects of different baffle heights at a single pitch ratio (PR=3) on heat transfer and pressure loss in the channel are studied. It is found that P-vortex flows created by the 30° baffle exist and help to induce impinging jets on a side wall and the upper and lower wall leading to drastic increase in heat transfer rate over the test channel. In addition, the increase in the baffle height results in the rise of Nusselt number and friction factor values. The computational results reveal that the optimum thermal enhancement factor of the baffle is about 2.9 at height of 0.15 times of the channel height.