Numerical Study Of Turbulent Thermal-Hydraulic Performance Of Al2o3-Water Nanofluid In Channel With Triangular Baffles

Abstract

In this paper, turbulent forced convection of nanofluid flow in channel with isoscelestriangular baffles is numerically investigated over Reynolds number ranges of 5000-10000. One baffle mounted on the bottom wall of channel and another mounted on the top wall. Al2O3-water nanofluid with nanoparticles volume fraction of 4% and nanoparticles diameters of 25 nm is used. The governing continuity, momentum and energy equations as well as the low Reynolds number k-ε model of Launder and Sharma have been solved using finite volume method. The effect of baffle height, baffle distance as well as Reynolds number on the flow and thermal characteristics have been presented and discussed. It is found that the enhancement ratio of the average Nusselt number as well as the fraction factor increase with increasing in the baffles height. It is also found that the enhancement ratio of the average Nusselt number increases as the distance of top baffle decrease. Furthermore, the best thermal-hydraulic performance of channel with triangular baffles using nanofluid can be obtained at baffle height of 2.5 mm, distance of the top baffle of 40 mm and Reynolds number of 5000.