Diego Angeli^a,*, Arturo Pagano^b, Mauro A. Corticelli^a, Alberto Fichera^b, Giovanni S. Barozzi^a

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 1-9, 2011, DOI:10.5098/hmt.v2.2.3003

Abstract A numerical analysis of transitional natural convection from a confined thermal source is presented. The system considered is an air-filled, square-sectioned 2D enclosure containing a horizontal heated cylinder. The resulting flow is investigated with respect to the variation of the Rayleigh number, for three values of the aspect ratio A. The first bifurcation of the low-Ra fixed-point solution is tracked for each A-value. Chaotic flow features are detailed for the case A = 2.5. The supercritical behaviour of the system is investigated using nonlinear analysis tools and phase-space representations, and the effect of the flow on heat transfer is discussed. More >

Ralph L. Webb

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 1-5, 2011, DOI:10.5098/hmt.v2.2.3001

Abstract This paper discusses the “Inlet Temperature Difference” (ITD) based heat-exchanger (and its variants) design methodology frequently used by designers of electronic heat sinks. The methodology is at variance with the accepted methodology recommended in standard heat-transfer text books – the “Log-Mean Temperature Difference” (LMTD), or the equivalent “effectiveness-NTU” design method. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and discuss the ITD based design methodology and its deficiencies. The paper shows that the ITD based method is an approximation at best. Variants of the method can lead to either under or over prediction of the heat transfer rate. Its shortcomings… More >

Rajesh Kumar Panda, B.V.S.S.S. Prasad^*

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 1-10, 2011, DOI:10.5098/hmt.v2.1.3008

Abstract Conjugate heat transfer from a flat circular disk is investigated both computationally and experimentally with a constant heat flux imposed on its bottom surface and a shower head of air jets impinging on the top surface. The shower head consists of a central jet surrounded by four neighboring perimeter jets. Measured temperature data at twelve locations within the plate are compared with the conjugate heat transfer result obtained at the same locations computationally by Shear Stress Transport (SST) κ-ω turbulence model. The spacing to orifice diameter ratio (H/d = 1 to 4), the jet Reynolds number (7115 to 10674) and… More >

Oronzio Manca^*, Sergio Nardini, Daniele Ricci

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 1-8, 2011, DOI:10.5098/hmt.v2.1.3007

Abstract Convective heat transfer may be enhanced passively by adopting rough surfaces. Ribs break the laminar sub-layer and create local turbulence in the channel, reducing thermal resistance and enhancing the heat transfer. However, higher losses are expected. In this paper a numerical investigation is carried out on air forced convection in a rectangular ribbed channel. A three-dimensional model is developed to study the effect of the angle between the fluid flow direction and the ribbed surface, provided with rectangular turbulators, in the turbulent flow. Simulations s that Nusselt numbers as well as the pressure drops increase as the inclination angles increase. More >

Syeda Humaira Tasnim^a,*, Shohel Mahmud^b, Roydon Andrew Fraser^a

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 1-10, 2011, DOI:10.5098/hmt.v2.1.3006

Abstract In this paper, we experimentally measure the temperature fields at different locations on the stack plate and in the surrounding working fluid in a standing wave thermoacoustic device. The temperature measurements at the stack extremities and at the neighboring gas show axial heat transfer at the stack extremities, as opposed to the hypothesis of a perfectly isolated stack used in the linear thermoacoustic theory. Four different mechanisms of heat transfer are identified at the stack extremities in the present study. This information is necessary for the optimization of the performances of practical thermoacoustic engines. For the selected operating conditions, temperature… More >

Patrick H. Oosthuizen^*

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 1-8, 2011, DOI:10.5098/hmt.v2.1.3004

Abstract The convective heat transfer to a window below which is mounted a natural convective heater has been numerically studied. The flow has been assumed to be three-dimensional and steady and to involve regions of laminar and turbulent flow. Fluid properties have been assumed constant except for the density change with temperature which leads to the buoyancy forces. The solution has been obtained using a commercial cfd code. Results have been obtained for a Prandtl number of 0.7. The effects of changes in the flow variables on the window Nusselt number and on the flow and temperature distributions have been examined. More >

Muhammad M. Rahman^*, Phaninder Injeti

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 1-9, 2011, DOI:10.5098/hmt.v2.1.3003

Abstract This paper presents the effects of protrusions on heat transfer in a microtube and in a two-dimensional microchannel of finite wall thickness. The effects of protrusion shape, size, and number were investigated. Calculations were done for incompressible flow of a Newtonian fluid with developing momentum and thermal boundary layers under uniform and discrete heating conditions. It was found that the local Nusselt number near a protrusion changes significantly with the variations of Reynolds number, height, width, and distance between protrusions, and the distribution of discrete heat sources. The results presented in the paper demonstrate that protrusions can be used advantageously… More >

Zheng Miao^a, Ya-Ling He^a,*, Tian-Shou Zhao^b, Wen-Quan Tao^a

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 1-10, 2011, DOI:10.5098/hmt.v2.1.3001

Abstract A non-isothermal two-phase mass transport model is developed in this paper to investigate the heat generation and transport phenomena in a direct methanol fuel cell with anisotropic gas diffusion layers (GDLs). Thermal contact resistances at the GDL/CL (catalyst layer) and GDL/Rib interfaces, and the deformation of GDLs are considered together with the inherent anisotropy of the GDL. Latent heat effects due to condensation/evaporation of water and methanol between liquid and gas phases are also taken into account. Formulation of the two-phase mass transport across the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is mainly based on the classical multiphase flow theory in the… More >

P. K. Das^*, S. Chakraborty, S. Bhaduri

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.3, No.1, pp. 1-17, 2012, DOI:10.5098/hmt.v3.1.3008

Abstract A state of the art review of critical heat flux during flow boiling through mini and microchannels has been provided based on the open literature. This review mainly examines three aspects, namely the experimental investigations, the available correlations and the state of prediction using those correlations and finally the proposed physical mechanisms as well as the theoretical models. Before discussing the specific literature on microchannels, a brief overview of critical heat flux for pool and flow boiling is provided. The review has been concluded with a summary of the available information on this topic and the need for future research. More >

Sira Saisorn^a,b, Somchai Wongwises^b,c,∗

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.3, No.1, pp. 1-7, 2012, DOI:10.5098/hmt.v3.1.3007

Abstract Two-phase pressure drop during flow boiling has been studied for several decades. Obviously, the publications available on micro-channels are relatively small compared with those for ordinarily sized channels. Although the use of micro-channels yields several advantages, the pressure drop taking p lace in these extremely small channels is higher than that in the ordinarily sized channels because of the increased wall friction. The knowledge of the two-phase pressure drop characteristics in addition to heat transfer phenomena is essential to the design and evaluation of the micro-systems. In this paper, recent research on the flow boiling pressure drop in micro-scale channels… More >