Turbulence Models for Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer Between Cross-Corrugated Plates

Abstract

Three-dimensional numerical predictions of fluid flow and heat transfer between cross-corrugated plates were obtained for the same geometry and grid using eight turbulence models, i.e., LBKE, SKE, RKE, RNGKE, RSM, KW, SST and LES, for the purpose of model performance evaluation. The average Colburn factor j, friction factor f, and local Nusselt number distribution were presented and compared with available experimental data. The velocity, temperature, and turbulent viscosity ratio distributions were recorded and discussed. It has been found that all models can predict practically satisfactory j and acceptable f within the current Reynolds number range. LBKE and SST provide the best overall agreement with experimental data and thus are highly recommended for application. Taking into account its robustness and economy, SKE with enhanced wall treatment is also recommended for CC channel flow and heat transfer simulation. In addition, near wall treatment approach seems to be significant for the current wall-bounded flow simulation. Since some models predict similar j and f values but very different velocity and temperature distributions, it seems not quite sufficient to only compare the overall heat transfer and pressure drop data between simulation and experiment for comprehensive model evaluations.