Numerical investigation of forced convection heat transfer from square cylinders in a channel covered by solid wall: Conjugate situation

Abstract

Flow over two isothermal offset square cylinders in a confined channel is simulated for different Reynolds number to reveal the forced convection heat transfer from the heated square cylinders to the ambient fluid for the fixed blockage ratio. The channel is covered by solid walls and conjugate heat transfer is considered. Heat transfer from the cylinders to the ambient fluid as well as conducted within solid wall through conjugate interface boundary is investigated for both steady and periodic flow. Simulation is carried out for Reynolds number which varies from 10 to 100 and Prandtl number equals 0.71. The onset of vortex begins when Reynolds number equals to 48. The conjugate interface temperature decreases when Reynolds number increases. The isotherm in the solid wall shows two dimensionality near cylinder region. The upstream cylinder results in higher Nusselt number during steady state and downstream cylinder results in higher Nusselt number for periodic flow.

Keywords

• conjugate heat transfer
• laminar flow
• nusselt number
• offset cylinder