Numerical Analysis of Laminar Forced Convection in Sinusoidal-Wavy-, Rounded-Ellipse-, and Rounded-Vee-Shaped Corrugated-Plate Channels

Abstract

Numerical analysis of steady, two-dimensional, laminar forced convection in corrugated-plate channels is performed using a commercial CFD code: ANSYS CFX. The flow domain consists of six modules in each of three wall corrugations: sinusoidal-wavy-shaped (SWS), rounded-ellipse-shaped (RES), and rounded-vee-shaped (RVS). One ratio of minimum-to-maximum plate spacings and one module length-to-height ratio is considered. Fluid flow and heat transfer are repeating in the modules and the results are examined in a typical module in the fully-developed region for Reynolds numbers in the range of 25 to 300 for Prandtl numbers of 0.7 (air), 2.29 (water), and 34.6 (ethylene glycol). The RES corrugation produced the highest peak value of local Nusselt number as well as the highest friction factor. The SWS corrugation produced the highest average Nusselt number, except at a Prandtl number of 34.6 at higher Reynolds number where the RES corrugation had the highest value. The RVS corrugation had the lowest friction factor for the geometric configuration considered. The highest heat transfer rate per unit pumping power was found at the highest Prandtl number for the RES corrugation.