Laminar-Transitional Convection From Repeated Ribs in a Channel

Abstract

Velocimetry, heat transfer, and pressure drop experiments are reported for laminar/transitional air flow in a channel containing rectangular transverse ribs located along one channel wall. The geometry is intended to represent an array of low profile electronic packages. At fixed pumping power per unit channel volume, the heat transfer rate per unit volume is independent of rib-to-rib spacing and increases with decreasing wall-to-wall spacing. The fully developed, rib-average heat transfer coefficient is found to be linearly related to the maximum streamwise rms turbulence measured above the rib-tops. Linear correlations, in terms of a descriptor of the rms streamwise turbulence, are shown to unify heat transfer/pressure drop data for channels containing either two-or three-dimensional protrusions.