Finite element solution of low peclet number fluid flow in a round pipe with the cauchy boundary condition

This paper presents a finite element solution to the problem of low Peclet number fluid flow in the thermal entrance region of a round pipe. The velocity is assumed to be laminar and fully developed throughout the pipe and the fluid temperature is kept uniform atX = —∞. The pipe wall is adiabatic at X ≤ 0 and cooled convectively at X ≥ 0. The solutions include temperature distributions and Nusselt numbers for the parameters, Bi = 0.04, 0.4, 4, 20 and Pe = 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, which are in excellent agreement with the existing analytic solution except in the region near the singular point Δ A temperature discrepancy in the analytic solution at this point is physically impossible. The finite element method overcomes this mathematical difficulty and shows a greater value in the Nusselt number due to a higher wall temperature at X ≥ 0.