Experimental and CFD Analysis of Two-Phase Forced Convection Flow in Channels of Various Rib Shapes

This paper investigates numerically and experimentally heat transfer forced convective two-phase flow (i.e. air and water) over a rectangular ribbed channel with a vertical orientation. Three distinct rib–groove shapes have been examined. Ribs - groove shapes are; Triangle, Trapezoid, and Semi-Trapezoid ribs-groove. The present study has been performed with continuous heat flux through range of water and air superficial inlet velocity values between 0.105 – 0.316m/s, and 0.263 – 1.320 m/s, respectively. Continuity, momentum and energy calculations have been formulated using the Finite Volume Approach (FVM). Results indicate that the triangle rib-groove has the high heat transfer coefficient and lower temperature difference than other cases against a different number of Reynolds. The experimental data has been compared to numerical results for ribs –grooved channel with deviation of about 1.0% - 7.5%. The channel fitted with triangle ribs shows the highest heat transfer, which is about 59% higher than the smooth channel; 56% for trapezoidal rib, and 44% for channel fitted by semi-trapezoidal rib. Finally, the triangle rib-groove gives a better heat transfer improvement value in comparison with trapezoidal and semi trapezoidal rib-groove channel at constant pumping power.