Steady and unsteady numerical investigation of mixed convective heat transfer enhancement in a channel with baffles attached to the heated wall

Abstract

Numerical computation of aiding mixed convection and heat transfer characteristics in a channel with a baffled heated wall is carried out in this work. The equations of mass, momentum and energy, alongside the boundary conditions, are solved by the finite volume formulation using the open source OpenFOAM® code. Simulations are accomplished under different parameter combinations, including the Reynolds number, Grashof number, and baffle dimension. The results are presented in terms of streamlines, isotherm contours, Nusselt number, and friction factor. The results obtained revealed that the flow translates from steady to unsteady state at a relatively low value of Reynolds number. The unsteady flow behaviour contributes to improve heat transfer by disturbing the near-wall region. The augmentation of velocity and baffle dimension leads to a notable heat transfer enhancement; however, this enhancement is less sensitive to the heating intensity augmentation.