The Effect of Axial Wall Conduction on Heat Transfer Parameters for a Parallel-Plate Channel Having a Step Change in Boundary Conditions

Abstract

This article investigates the effect of an axial wall condition on the heat transfer characteristics for laminar flow through a thick-walled channel. A partition separates the channel of interest into two regions (upstream and downstream region), in which two different coolant fluids bind the channel in those regions. A numerical model was developed using a finite-difference technique to solve the conjugate heat transfer problem. The theoretical model was verified by comparing the predicated results with those obtained from the available analytical and experimental data, and good agreement was achieved. The wall thickness ratio, Biot number, and coolant fluids’ temperature difference step change were selected as the key parameters. The study shows that the significant change in those parameters could lead to an enhancement of 24% for the average Nusselt number at certain conditions.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Arab Academy University for their support of supplying licensed ANSYS FLUENT 12 software to be used to carry out the numerical calculation for comparison.