Numerical simulation of free convection heat transfer from localized discrete heat sources in a vertical channel

Book · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:445538

Campo, A ^[1]; Manca, O ^[2]; Morrone, B ^[3]

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1. Idaho State Univ., Pocatello, ID (United States). Nuclear Engineering Dept.
2. Seconda Univ. degli studi di Napoli, Aversa (Italy). Dipt. di Ingegneria Aerospaziale
3. Univ. degli studi Federico II Napoli (Italy)

This paper addresses the problem of natural convection cooled channels heated with flush-mounted discrete heat sources: this configuration is more realistic for the modelization of the cooling of electronic devices. The two-dimensional, laminar and steady-state problem is investigated numerically by the full elliptic Navier-Stokes and energy equations in a composite domain. The computational domain is I-shaped and is made by the channel and two rectangular reservoirs. The thermal behavior of a channel symmetrically heated by a single flush-mounted strip as function of the strip position with respect to the inlet section is investigated. Wall temperature profiles as well as the velocity and local Nusselt numbers as functions of the nondimensional coordinates are shown for channels heated by five strips per each wall. The analysis is carried out in the aspect ratio, height of plates/channel gap, and the Rayleigh numbers in ranges 1--10 and 10{sup 3}--10{sup 5}, respectively. The wall temperature profiles show useful indications on the correct position of the heated strips with respect to the channel inlet in order to attain higher heat transfer rate coefficients. The velocity profiles at the inlet and exit sections are strongly influenced by the Rayleigh numbers. The local Nusselt values show that, for different values of the aspect ratio, the channels behave as uniformly heated walls at lower Rayleigh numbers. A correlation for the average Nusselt number in terms of Rayleigh channel number is given.

• OSTI ID: 445538
• Report Number(s): CONF-961105--; ISBN 0-7918-1520-X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
LAMINAR FLOW
NATURAL CONVECTION
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
NUSSELT NUMBER
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
THEORETICAL DATA