HYDRODYNAMICALLY AND THERMALLY DEVELOPING LAMINAR FLOW THROUGH ROTATING CHANNELS HAVING ISOTHERMAL WALLS

ABSTRACT

A numerical study is performed on a three-dimensional model of heat transfer and fluid flow in the entrance region ( the flow is hydrodynamically and thermally developing) of radially rotating long channels with steady, laminar throughflow. The channel walls are isothermal. Consideration is given to channels of different geometries, including a square and both narrow and flat rectangles. Both the rotational speed and throughflow rates are varied. The velocity-vorticity method is employed in the formulation, and numerical results are obtained by means of a finite-difference technique. The Nusselt number, friction factor, and temperature and velocity distributions are determined, and the role of the Coriolis forte in the transport phenomena is investigated.