Poiseuille Flow With Variable Fluid Properties

Abstract

Flow of a fluid through a parallel channel is one of the simplest types of flow. However, the equations of flow and energy are far from simple and can only be solved in a closed form in the simplest cases when nonlinear effects such as the inertia and convective terms can be neglected (i.e., for zero Reynolds number) and when the energy and momentum equations are uncoupled. A numerical iterative method is described in which the coupled momentum and energy equations are solved when the viscosity, thermal conductivity and specific heat are functions of temperature, and the density a function of temperature and pressure; inertia terms are retained in the momentum equation and the convective terms, compression work term and the predominant dissipation term retained in the energy equation. Results are obtained for a variety of boundary temperatures up to about 2400 deg F and the effect of variable fluid properties and various terms in the energy and momentum equation are shown.