Unsteady forced convection flow and heat transfer past a blunt headed semicircular cylinder at low Reynolds numbers

Abstract

A numerical analysis is performed to study the forced convective fluid flow and heat transfer past an unconfined semicircular cylinder. The two-dimensional simulations are carried out for Reynolds number ranging 10 ≤ Re ≤ 200 and operating fluid is air (Pr = 0.71) for Newtonian constant property fluid. Continuity, Navier-Stokes, and energy equations with appropriate boundary conditions are solved using computational fluid dynamics solver Ansys Fluent. Various parameters flow such as lift, drag, skin friction coefficient, pressure coefficient, Nusselt (Nu) number, Strouhal (St) number, and vortex strength are calculated. The transition from steady to time periodic flow occurs between Re = 60 and 80. The effect of Reynolds number on heat transfer is discussed. Finally, a developed correlation of Nu and St numbers are presented.

Keywords:

• Forced convection
• Nusselt number
• Prandtl number
• semicircular cylinder

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.