Effect of viscous dissipation in stokes flow between rotating cylinders using BEM

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to apply the boundary element method (BEM) to Stokes flow between eccentric rotating cylinders, considering the case when viscous dissipation plays a significant role and determining the Nusselt number as a function of cylinder geometry parameters. Design/methodology/approach The problem is described by the equation of motion of Stokes flow and an energy equation with a viscous dissipation term. First, the velocity field and the viscous dissipation term were determined from the momentum equation. The determined dissipation of energy and the constant temperature on the cylinder walls are the conditions for the energy equation, from which the temperature distribution and the heat flux at the boundary of the cylinders are determined. Numerical calculations were performed using the author’s own computer program based on BEM. Verification of the model was carried out by comparing the temperature determined by the BEM with the known theoretical solution for the temperature distribution between two rotating concentric cylinders. Findings As the ratio of the inner cylinder diameter to the outer cylinder diameter (r1/r2) increases, the Nusselt number increases. The angle of inclination of the function of the Nusselt number versus r1/r2 increases as the distance between the centers of the inner and outer cylinders increases. Originality/value The computational results may be used for the design of slide bearings and viscometers for viscosity testing of liquids with high viscosity where viscous dissipation is important. In the work, new integral kernels were determined for BEM needed to determine the viscous dissipation component.