Px. Jiang et Zp. Ren, Numerical investigation of forced convection heat transfer in porous mediausing a thermal non-equilibrium model, INT J HEA F, 22(1), 2001, pp. 102-110
In the present paper, the effects of viscous dissipation, the boundary cond
ition assumptions, thermal dispersion, particle diameters and the variable
properties of oil on convection heat transfer are analyzed using a numerica
l model including thermal nonequilibrium assumption. The results, which are
compared with experimental data, show that the convection heat transfer in
porous media can be predicted numerically using the thermal non-equilibriu
m model with the ideal constant wall heat flux boundary condition. Viscous
dissipation weakens the convection heat transfer from the fluid to the wall
in the porous media. However, under practical conditions the influence of
viscous dissipation on the convection heat transfer is small. The fluid tem
perature in the bottom part of the channel is higher than in the core regio
n of the channel when the lower plate is adiabatic due to the effect of vis
cous dissipation. The variation of the thermal physical properties of oil h
as a profound influence on the convection heat transfer coefficient, which
increases as the heat Bur increases. When the upper and lower plates are he
ated with the same heat Aux, the convection heat transfer coefficient on th
e upper plate surface is higher than when one side is heated and the other
is insulated. However, the differences caused by these two kinds of boundar
y conditions in porous media are less than that in an empty channel. (C) 20
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