A Numerical Computation of Heat and Fluid Flow in L-Shaped Curved Channels

摘要

A numerical analysis of steady, hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed, incompressible laminar flow with constant physical properties is presented. Two different geometrical cases of L-shaped channels are considered: right-curved and left-curved. The solution of the discretized continuity, momentum, and energy equations was obtained by using an elliptic Fortran program based on the SIMPLE algorithm. Solutions are obtained for Dean number ranges from 4.1 to 210.6 with dimensionless radius of curvature of 100, and Prandtl number of 0.7. The secondary flow streamlines, the isotherms, average Nusselt numbers, and friction factors are presented depending on Dean number and L-shaped channel orientation. As a result, it is observed that the secondary flows resulting from centrifugal forces change the distribution of the velocity and the temperature fields. In addition, it is determined that channel orientation has a profound effect on the flow and temperature fields.