Steady Laminar Flow through Twisted Pipes: Heat Transfer in Square Tubes

Abstract

The potential of a twisted square pipe for heat transfer applications is examined. A numerical solution of the energy equation in a rotating frame of reference is used for the analysis. The case of axially uniform wall temperature is considered. The rectilinear nature of the axial velocity profile makes the overall Nusselt number insensitive to changes in Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. However, the swirling motion provides significant enhancement in heat transfer across individual walls. Hence the use of twisted square pipes in a multichannel configuration is proposed.