NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL MIXED CONVECTION HEAT TRANSFER FROM A FINNED ARRAY OF DISCRETE SOURCES

Abstract

Computations have been performed for a four-row heat source array, which is mounted on the bottom wall of a horizontal channel and whose surface area is augmented by longitudinal fins. The influence of entry-region effects, spanwise and longitudinal inter-mittency in the heater arrangement, and buoyancy-induced flow is considered. The buoyancy-induced flow consists of counterrotating circulation cells confined between neighboring fins, with upflow adjacent to the fins and downflow between the fins. The development of the three-dimensional velocity and temperature fields has been predicted and used to interpret local Nusselt number distributions for the exposed base and for the fin surfaces.