An Exact Solution for the Flow of Temperature-Dependent Viscous Fluids in Heated Rectangular Ducts

Abstract

An exact solution has been developed for the fully-developed flow of fluids having temperature-dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity in rectangular ducts with transverse heat conduction. The problem is uniquely defined in terms of four parameters: the height-to-width ratio, E, the product of the friction factor and the Reynold’s number, f·Re, the temperature ratio across the duct, T2/T1, and the exponent of the viscosity dependence on temperature. The results indicate that significant departures from the isothermal case may obtain for heated flows.