Effect of Rib Height and Pitch on the Thermal Performance of a Passage Disturbed by Detached Solid Ribs

Abstract

Laser holographic interferometry and pressure measurements are presented for the effects of rib-to-duct height ratio (H/2B), rib pitch-to-height ratio (Pi/H), and Reynolds number (Re) on the spatially periodic-fully developed turbulent heat transfer and friction in a rectangular duct of width-to-height ratio of 4:1 with an array of ribs detached from one wall at a clearance to rib-height ratio of 0.38. The ranges of H/2B, Pi/H, and Re examined were 0.13 to 0.26, 7 to 13, and 5 × 103 to 5 × 104 , respectively. The difference in the H/2B dependence of the thermal performance between the detached and attached solid-rib array is documented. H/2B = 0.17 and Pi/H = 10 are found to provide the best thermal performance for the range of parameters tested. Compact heat transfer and friction correlations are developed. Additionally, it is found that heat transfer augmentation with a detached solid-rib array is superior to with a detached perforated-rib array, and the mechanism responsible for the difference is revealed by the complementary flow visualization results.