Numerical investigation of forced convection in a plane channel with a built-in triangular prism

Structure of laminar flow and heat transfer, in a two-dimensional horizontal channel differentially heated, with a builtin triangular prism is investigated from the numerical solutions of complete Navier-Stokes and energy equations. The numerical scheme is based on Control Volume Finite-Element Method with the SIMPLER algorithm for pressure-velocity coupling. Many standard test flows are successfully simulated. Results are obtained for Reynolds number ranging from 20 to 250 at Pr = 0.71 with constant physical properties. The flow is especially studied in details for two Reynolds numbers, Re = 30 as a sample of the symmetric flow, and Re = 100 as a sample for the periodic flow. Results are presented to show how the presence of such bluff body affects the flow pattern and the heat transfer from the hot bottom plate to the flow in both cases, symmetric and periodic flows. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.