Experimental and numerical study of heat transfer in an annular gap without axial flow with a rotating inner cylinder

The convective heat transfer between the walls of an annular gap with a rot ating inner cylinder are studied experimentally and numerically. Two geomet rical configurations are analysed : the surfaces of the cylinders are eithe r smooth, or the moving wall is smooth and the other is axially grooved. Th e experimental study allowed us to appreciate the increase of heat transfer in the presence of grooves for values of Taylor number up to 2.10(7). The study of the flow and of the heat transfer has also been conducted by numer ical simulation by means of three-dimensional laminar model for the grooved gap, and of an axisymmetric model for the smooth gap. The comparison of nu merical and experimental data have shown a good agreement of the Nusselt nu mber for values of Taylor number up to 4.10(5). (C) Elsevier, Paris.