Numerical and experimental study for assessment the effect of baffles in a grooved cavity

Abstract

Abstract The present study is concentrated on the effect of using baffles (as abstraction means) in a cavity to enhance the heat transfer. For this purpose, an experimental and numerical study was carried out. In the experimental study, a test rig consists of a groove rectangular duct and square baffle at three different positions at the top wall with a constant heat flux applied at the bottom wall was built up and used. In the numerical study, mesh generation and finite volume analysis were performed using Ansys. 18 with (k-ε Relazabel) turbulent model to calculate the pressure drop, temperature, and heat transfer rate. The study was concentrated on the effect of baffle position, and number for the range of Reynolds number (4000-16000) and Grashof’s number between (107-108) using air with (Pr=0.7) as a working fluid. The results show that inserting a square baffle at the right position of the cavity leads to increasing of Nusselt number by (73%) comparing to that cavity with no baffles and (60%), (67%) with that at left and center position for the baffle. Comparing numerical and experimental shows a good agreement between them with a maximum deviation (12%), also a close agreement notice when comparing the present results with some of the previous works.