Mixed convection and radiation studies on thermally developing laminar flow in a horizontal square channel with variable side heated wall

Abstract

In this work presents the interaction of mixed convection and surface radiation heat transfer studies on thermally developing laminar airflow in a differentially heated horizontal channel with isothermal vertical walls and adiabatic top and bottom walls. The side heated isothermal wall incorporated a heater, and the opposite wall acts as a constant temperature heat source. The major thermal and geometric parameter includes variable wall temperatures, wall surface emissivity, Reynolds number, heat flux and air chosen as the working medium. Due to the wall surface emissivity of the channel, the internal wall surface radiation will significantly change the rate of total heat transfer inside the channel. Therefore, the current research focuses on the mixed convective and surface radiation heat transfer process happening in laminar flow over a horizontal channel. Radiative heat transfer is determined with the help of experimental results and the use of the numerical scheme. The results presented here show the rate of convection heat transfer and the distribution of surface temperature along the walls inside the channel. The flow configuration the channel inside is pictured by passing smoke at the bottom of the entrance section. The quantitative and qualitative results showed that the emissivity of walls and other thermal and geometric parameters significantly affected the overall heat transfer improvement from the square channel.