Modelling and Theoretical Analysis of Laminar Flow and Heat Transfer in Various Protruding-Edged Plate Systems

Abstract

Laminar flow and heat transfer in different protruding-edged plate systems are modelled and analyzed in the present work. These include the Parallel Flow (PF) and the Counter Flow (CF) protruding-edgedplate exchangers as well as those systems being subjected to Constant Wall Temperature (CWT) and Uniform Heat Flux (UHF) conditions. These systems are subjected to normal free stream having both power-law velocity profile and same average velocity. The continuity, momentum and energy equations are transformed to either similarity or nonsimilar equations and then solved by using well validated finite difference methods. Accurate correlations for various flow and heat transfer parameters are obtained. It is found that there are specific power-law indices that maximize the heat transfer in both PF and CF systems. The maximum reported enhancement ratios are 1.075 and 1.109 for the PF and CF systems, respectively, at Pr = 100. These ratios are 1.076 and 1.023 for CWT and UHF conditions, respectively, at Pr = 128. Per same friction force, the CF system is preferable over the PF system only when the power-law indices are smaller than zero. Finally, this work demonstrates that by appropriately distributing the free stream velocity, the heat transfer from a plate can be increased up to 10% fold.