Numerical study of convective heat transfer in T-bifurcating channel
Résumé
A numerical study of a three-dimensional turbulent flow in a rectangular T-bifurcating duct was performed. It focused on the analysis of heat transfer in the branching duct at 90 to the main flow. Including separation and reattachment phenomena, the flow seemed to be anisotropic. The closure system of the full set of Navier–Stokes equations governing the flow was based on the on one point statistical modeling using a low Reynolds number second-order full stress transport model. For several aspect ratios, results show that in addition to the recirculation zone in the branching duct close to the upstream side; pairs of streamwise vortices were generated downstream of the junction zone with their centers moving towards the symmetry plane. The effect of the aspect ratio of the branching section in enhancing this phenomenon and flow rate effect on the heat transfer were particularly analyzed in this paper.