Flow transitions and combined free and forced convective heat transfer in rotating curved channels: The case of positive rotation

Abstract

The simultaneous effects of curvature, rotation and heating/cooling in channel flow complicate the flow and heat transfer characteristics beyond those observed in the channels with simple curvature or rotation. The phenomena encountered are examined for steady, hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed flow in square channels. The governing equations are solved numerically by using a finite-volume method. Certain hitherto unknown flow patterns are found. And the results show both the nature of the flow transition and the effect of this transition on the distributions of temperature, friction factor and Nusselt number in a square channel.