Numerical Analysis of Turbulent Forced-Convection Flow in a Channel with Staggered L-Shaped Baffles

The use of baffles and fins in channels is commonly used for passive heat transfer enhancement strategy in single phase internal flow. Considering the rapid increase in energy demand, effective heat transfer enhancement techniques have become important task worldwide. Some of the applications of passive heat transfer enhancement strategies are in process industries, thermal regenerator, Shell-and-tube type heat exchanger, Internal cooling system of gas turbine blades, radiators for space vehicles and automobiles, etc. In literature, numerous studies on baffled channel heat transfer are reported, but only the relevant articles are cited here. Yuan [1] reported a numerical study for the characteristics of the periodically fully developed turbulent flow and heat transfer in a channel with transverse opposite-positioned fins. The influence of the thermal boundary condition of the fin to the heat transfer was verified. Yuan and others also studied experimentally the duct with periodic rectangular fins along the main flow direction [2] and the duct with winglet fins [3]. They can both increase heat transfer largely comparing with smooth duct. An experimental investigation was done by Habib et al. [4] to study the characteristics of the turbulent flow and heat transfer inside the periodic cell formed between segmented baffles staggered in a rectangular duct. The parameters of the experimental work were the Reynolds number and the baffle height. The results indicated that the pressure loss increases as the baffle height does, for a given flow rate. Also, the local and average heat transfer parameters increase with increasing Reynolds number and baffle height. Demartini et al. [5] presented the numeric and experimental analysis of the turbulent flow of air inside a channel of rectangular section, containing two rectangular baffle plates. Hot wire anemometry and the Finite Volume Method, by means of commercial program FLUENT 5.2 were applied in that research work. Tsay et al. [6] numerically investigated the heat transfer enhancement due to a vertical baffle in a backward-facing step flow channel. The effect of the baffle height, thickness and the distance between the baffle and the backward facing step on the flow structure was studied in detail for a range of Reynolds number varying from 100 to 500. They found that an introduction of a baffle into the flow could increase Journal of New Technology and Materials