Rectangular-Plate Turbulator Effects on Heat Transfer and Near-Wall Flow Characteristics in Fan Flows

Abstract

ABSTRACTHeat transfer and near-wall flow characteristics in an inherently swirling fan flow, containing rectangular-plate turbulators with 45° and 90° angles of attack, were experimentally investigated. The heat transfer characteristics for uniform flows with the turbulators were also investigated for comparison. Eight heated aluminum plates, installed along a bottom duct-wall, were used as the heat transfer surfaces, which allows the studies of heat transfer variations along the duct and the studies of the relations between the local fluid flows and heat transfer variations. Three-component mean and fluctuating velocities were measured using a laser Doppler velocimetry to obtain the near-wall flow parameters, including the axial mean velocity, axial vorticity and turbulent kinetic energy. The temperatures on the eight heat transfer surfaces were measured using thermocouples to obtain the Stanton number distributions. Results suggest that the rectangular-plate turbulators in fan flows may cause the increases in the near-wall flow parameters and, consequently, augment the heat transfer, especially around the flow reattachment regions. Also, the rectangular-plate turbulator effect on heat transfer augmentation in fan flows may be as attractive as that in uniform flows at the investigated X/H ranges.