Numerical investigation of convective heat transfer and pressure drop in wavy ducts

Flow field and heat transfer in corrugated ducts have been investigated from the numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations in the laminar to transitional range of Reynolds numbers (600-2000). First, the geometric parameters for the best ratio of heat transfer to pressure drop have been determined for two-dimensional channels. Then for these parameters, flow structure and heat transfer have been investigated for three-dimensional (3-D) channels consisting of corrugated plates. The angles 45 degrees and 90 degrees between the corrugations and the main stream direction have been considered. A performance evaluation criterion identifies the 3-D corrugated plate at 45 degrees with the best ratio between heat transfer and pressure drop.