Thermal analysis of simultaneously evolving laminar pulsatile flow through two large parallel plates with time-dependent heat flux boundary conditions

Abstract

Understanding unsteady convective heat transfer (UCHT) behavior of simultaneously evolving laminar pulsatile flow between two large parallel plates exposed to time-dependent thermal boundary conditions is the goal of this research. The time-dependent sinusoidal velocity waveform is applied at the entrance of the two large parallel plates exposed to time-dependent sinusoidal heat flux boundary conditions (TSHBC). The finite volume technique is used in the present work. The current results have been compared to the literature data under the same operating conditions and found to be in good concurrence. The influence of various parameters, for instance, amplitude, frequency, phase difference, heat flux ratio, and the Reynolds number on the transient Nusselt number, is investigated. An improvement in energy transfer is observed when the pulsatile flow between two large parallel plates with TSHBC than the non-pulsatile flow with a fixed heat flux type boundary. Furthermore, the energy transfer improvement is observed once the velocity and heat flux waveform frequency is equal. The applicability of the present work could be found in the solar heating system, cooling of electronic devices, etc., whereby a more robust understanding of the unsteady convective heat transfer could facilitate the design and develop an efficient system.