HYDRODYNAMICALLY AND THERMALLY DEVELOPING LAMINAR-FLOW THROUGH ROTATING CHANNELS HAVING ISOTHERMAL WALLS

A numerical study is performed on a three-dimensional model of heat transfer and fluid flow in the entrance region (the flow is hydrodynamically and thermally developing) of radially rotating long channels with steady, laminar throughflow. The channel walls are isothermal. Consideration is given to channels of different geometries, including a square and both narrow and flat rectangles. Both the rotational speed and throughflow rates are varied. The velocity-vorticity method is employed in the formulation, and numerical results are obtained by means of a finite-difference technique. The Nusselt number, friction factor, and temperature and velocity distributions are determined, and the role of the Coriolis force in the transport phenomena is investigated.