Flow characteristics and thermal features of inline butterfly wings-shaped protruded surface in a rectangular wind channel

Abstract

As devices are getting smaller and powerful, advanced thermal solutions are needed to manage heat in limited and confined spaces. In this research, the performance of cooling techniques for progressively smaller and more powerful devices are explored. Flow, heat transmission (heat augmentation and evacuation), and pressure drop characteristics on a butterfly-shaped turbulence generator endwall in a channel passage are studied numerically. The impact of convective heat transfer on a new geometric protrusion surface is simulated in contrast to a baseline (smooth) surface. The new protrusion consists of two oval forms that are 90° apart from one another. The study also compared the baseline (smooth) and the new protrusion surfaces' capacities for performance and heat transfer at various channel heights of 5 mm, 7 mm, and 10 mm. The geometrical surfaces of the baseline and protrusion are simulated at five different Reynolds numbers (Re) of 600, 1000, 5000, 7000, and 15,000. The findings demonstrate that, in comparison to baseline smooth surfaces, the protruded surface's Nusselt number corresponds to a larger value of heat transmission. The Nusselt number increased with over 20% at Re 1000. When compared to the baseline surface in terms of pressure drop and frictional drag force, the presence of protruded configurations on the plate surface greatly enhances heat transmission performance. In terms of pressure drop and frictional drag force, the protruded surface significantly outperforms the baseline smooth surface. The results will be useful for heat enhancement applications in compact devices.