A comparative study on cross-buoyancy mixed convection around expanded and tapered trapezoidal bluff bodies
Published online on October 19, 2015
Abstract
Numerical computations have been realized to explore and evaluate the laminar mixed convection heat transfer from a heated trapezoidal bluff body. Two different configurations of the trapezoidal bluff body viz. expanded and tapered considered and a comparison has been made at different operational parameters. The spectrum of physical control parameters considered as Reynolds number (Re) = 10–50, Richardson number (Ri) = 0–1, and Prandtl number (Pr) = 0.7 (air). A finite volume method implemented on the collocated grid arrangement has been employed for numerical computations. Overall drag and lift coefficients are found higher for a tapered body as compared to an expanded body. However, average Nusselt number is greater for the expanded body as compared to the tapered one. With increase in Re at a given Ri, total drag coefficient is found to decrease in steady regime, but it increases in time-periodic regime. On increasing Ri, drag and lift coefficients decrease in the steady regime for both geometries. A correlation expressing the functional relationship of average Nusselt number with Re and Ri for both geometries has been proposed. Critical Re at Ri = 0.5 for the expanded geometry is found to be between Re = 46 and 47, while for the tapered body it exists between Re = 35 and 36. Maximum heat transfer enhancement for the tapered body with respect to the expanded body at Ri = 0, 0.5, and 1 is found to be approximately 26, 24, and 21%, respectively.