FORCED LAMINAR CONVECTION IN AN ARRAY OF STACKED PLATES

A numerical study of laminar flow and heat transfer in an array of sta cked rectangular plates is presented. The array is placed in a uniform stream, and the plates are subjected to a constant surface heat flux. This flow configuration is relevant to a number of practical heat tra nsfer devices with finned surfaces. The computations were performed us ing a finite volume solution of the steady, two-dimensional Navier-Sto kes equations and energy equation. A numerical scheme that reduces num erical diffusion is used to discretize the equations. The dominant fea ture of the flow is the separation, and subsequent reattachment of, th e boundary layer, which takes place at Reynolds numbers greater than a bout 75. The separation first occurs downstream of the leading edge of the plate, then as Re increases, the separation point moves upstream and remains fixed at the leading edge, and the reattachment length inc reases linearly with Re. The appearance and growth of the separation b ubble are accompanied by a local thinning of the thermal boundary laye r and a substantial heat transfer augmentation in the reattachment reg ion, with local maximum heat transfer rates occurring slightly downstr eam of reattachment. The heat transfer augmentation is attenuated at h igher blockage ratios (reduced spacing between plates) as a result of the reduction of the separation bubble size.