Flow Structure and Heat Transfer Enhancement in Laminar Flow With Protrusion-Dimple Combinations in a Shallow Rectangular Channel

The effect of introducing combinations of spherical dimples and protrusions in a shallow rectangular channel on the flow and heat transfer in the laminar regime has been studied numerically. Four different cases were investigated. These consisted of: an isolated dimple, an isolated protrusion both placed on the centerline of one of the wide face of the channel, a combination of a dimple located on the centerline of the wide face of the channel and a protrusion located downstream but shifted to the side, and finally, a combination in which the protrusion and the dimple are reversed. The resultant, very complex flow structure and thermal fields in the channel are presented. The introduction of a single dimple results in a small enhancement of heat transfer and a very small reduction in pressure drop relative to those obtained in a smooth channel. However, a significant enhancement in heat transfer obtained from a single protrusion is associated with marginal increase in pressure drop. The addition of a protrusion downstream of the dimple leads to an increase of 30% in heat transfer augmentation above that which pertains for the isolated protrusion without any increase in the pressure drop. With the reversal of the positions of the protrusion and the dimple no effect on either the pressure drop or the heat transfer has been observed.Copyright © 2009 by ASME