Multimode heat transfer characteristics in airflow through a differentially heated rectangular duct

Abstract

Paper presented at the 5th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 1-4 July, 2007.

This paper presents a numerical investigation on airflow through a heated horizontal rectangular duct wherein the model considers the combined modes of natural and forced convection heat transfer and the surface thermal radiation from duct walls. The duct periphery is differentially heated with known temperature profiles imposed on the two opposite vertical sidewalls and the other two walls treated as adiabatic. The air enters the duct hydrodynamically fully developed and flows steadily under laminar conditions undergoing thermal development within the duct. Considering several temperature profiles on the two vertical sidewalls, the numerical simulation generates the heat transfer rates and associated fluid flow patterns in the duct for a range of airflow rates, duct aspect ratios and surface emissivity. The Nusselt number at duct wall and the fluid flow patterns are critically examined to identify thermal instabilities and the significance of wall surface radiation effects on the overall heat transfer rates.