Averaged energy-balance analysis of wavy micro-channels

Abstract

Abstract This study presents numerical simulations of the convective heat transfer on wavy micro-channels to investigate heat transfer enhancement in these systems. The goal is to extend the analysis of our previous work [1, 2], by proposing a methodology based on local and global energy balances in the device instead of the commonly used Nusselt number. The analysis is performed on a single-wave baseline micro-channel model that is exposed to a heat influx. The governing equations for an incompressible laminar flow and conjugate heat transfer are first built, and then solved, for representative models, under several operating conditions, by the finite element technique. From computed velocity, pressure and temperature fields, local and global energy balances based on cross-section-averaged velocities and temperatures enable calculating the heat rate at each section. Results from this study show that this so-called averaged energy-balance methodology enables an accurate assessment of the channel performance.