Slip Flow Convection in Isoflux Rectangular Microchannels

Abstract

Laminar forced convection in thermally developing slip flow through isoflux rectangular microchannels is analytically investigated. Local and fully developed Nusselt numbers, fluid temperatures, and wall temperatures are obtained by solving the continuum energy equation for hydrodynamically fully developed slip flow with the velocity slip and temperature jump condition at the walls. It is found that heat transfer may increase, decrease, or remain unchanged, compared to nonslip flow conditions, depending on aspect ratios and two-dimensionless variables that include effects of the microchannel size or rarefaction and the fluid/wall interaction. The transition points that separate heat transfer enhancement from reduction are acquired for different aspect ratios.