FLOW AND HEAT TRANSFER AROUND A LINEAR ARRAY OF SPHERES

Abstract

Abstract Laminar fluid flow and forced convection heat transfer over equally spaced linear arrays of spheres are analyzed using the finite element package FIDAP. For the arrays, sphere spacings of 1.5, 2, and 3 diameters are examined at Reynolds numbers of 40, 80, and 120 and Prandtl numbers ranging from 0.73 to 7.3. Average Nusselt numbers and drag coefficient data for a linear array of eight spheres (as an approximation to the developing region) and a single sphere with periodic boundary conditions (as an approximation to fully developed flow) are presented and correlated.