Experimental Study of Turbulent Local Enhanced Heat Transfer in Wavy-Wall Channel

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the phenomena of heat transfer enhancement between two periodic sinusoidal walls for a single gas flow. The experimental set-up is characterized by a few geometrical parameters: amplitude of wall waviness (A); channel height (H); fin wavy-channel width (ω); fin period (l) and total wavy length (L). Combination of these ones is reduced to: the wall aspect ratio γ, the cross-section aspect ratio α and the channel spacing ratio ε. The Reynolds number defined on the hydraulic diameter and the bulk velocity is greater than 4000. A constant heat flux is maintained on the second lateral wall. For Re = 5700, we observe an entrance region from the first to the fourth period; beyond, the velocity profiles are autosimilar. A shear layer is generated just downstream of the crest and develops in its wake up to the concavity area. Thermal experimental approach is performed by local measurements of convective heat transfer coefficient along the walls, within the viscous sublayer. The heat transfer profile presents an increasing from the crest of 15%, and the maximum is located at the first quarter of the period, close to the separated point. Beyond, the value of heat transfer decreases of 50% and the minimum is located close to the reattachment point. Then the heat transfer increases up to the next crest. The same phenomenon is observed in the next periods of the channel. To explain theses results, we calculate the turbulence terms obtained from the classical equations of fluid mechanics. The turbulence production (P) presents a maximum in the core of the shear layer, where the Reynolds constraints and the heat transfer are maxima. A good correlation is obtained between turbulence production and heat transfer. The flow pattern (mean, fluctuating and turbulence terms) are performed with PIV technique in order to analyze the vortices that develop in the shear layer, based on 1000 pairs of images.