The effects of wavy-wall phase shift on thermal-hydraulic performance of Al2O3-water nanofluid flow in sinusoidal-wavy channel

Abstract

In this paper, laminar forced convection flow of Al2O3-water nanofluid in sinusoidal-wavy channel is numerically studied. The two-dimensional governing equations of continuity, momentum and energy equations in body-fitted coordinates are solved using finite volume method. The sinusoidal-wavy channel with four different phase shifts of 0°, 45°, 90° and 180° are considered in this study. The results of numerical solution are obtained for Reynolds number and nanoparticle volume fractions ranges of 100-800 and 0-5%, respectively. The effect of phase shift, nanoparticle volume fraction and Reynolds number on the streamline and temperature contours, local Nusselt number, local skin friction coefficient, average Nusselt number, non-dimensional pressure drop and thermalhydraulic performance factor have been presented and analyzed. Results indicate that the optimal performance is achieved by 0° phase shift channel over the ranges of Reynolds number and nanoparticles volume fractions. © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.