Numerical study of thermo-hydraulic characteristics for forced convective flow through wavy channel at different Prandtl numbers

Abstract

The present work numerically investigates the thermo-fluidic and entropy generation characteristics for laminar forced convective flow through wavy channel at different Prandtl number (Pr). Results are presented for the following range of parameters: Reynolds number $$5 \le \text{Re} \le 200$$ , Prandtl number $$0.72 \le \Pr \le 100$$ , dimensionless amplitude $$0.3 \le \alpha \le 0.7$$ and dimensionless wavelength $$0.5 \le \lambda \le 1.5$$ . It is observed that with increase in Pr, the thickness of the thermal boundary layer at trough region decreases slowly for smaller Re, whereas at higher Re, the rate of decrement is higher. The average Nusselt number increases with Pr for all amplitude, wavelength and Reynolds number. The relative heat transfer enhancement compared to equivalent plane channel is presented in terms of enhancement ratio (ER), and it shows a non-monotonic variation of ER with Pr at lower Re and a monotonic one at higher Re. The combined alteration of rate of heat transfer and pressure drop as compared to plane channel is enumerated by performance factor (PF), and the variation of PF with Pr shows non-monotonic behaviour at lower Re and monotonic one at higher Re. The variation of PF shows non-monotonic variation with Re for higher Pr and for smaller wavelength, whereas it monotonically decreases for all Pr at higher wavelength. Thermal entropy generation contribution is higher over the viscous one for all the cases considered. The local thermal entropy generation distribution varies with Re, Pr and geometrical configuration of the channel. For smaller amplitude (α = 0.3), the total entropy generation is minimum in the considered range of Re and Pr.