Mass (Heat) Transfer Downstream of Blockages With Round and Elongated Holes in a Rectangular Channel

Abstract

Turbulent forced convective mass (heat) transfer downstream of blockages with round and elongated holes in a rectangular channel was studied. The blockages and the channel had the same 12:1 (width-to-height ratio) cross section, and a distance equal to twice the channel height separated consecutive blockages. The diameter of the holes was either 0.5 or 0.75 of the height of the channel. Naphthalene sublimation experiments were conducted with four hole aspect ratios (hole-width-to-height ratios) between 1.0 and 3.4, two hole-to-channel area ratios (ratios of total hole cross-sectional area to channel cross-sectional area) of 0.2 and 0.3, and Reynolds numbers (based on the channel hydraulic diameter) of 7000 and 17,000. The effects of the hole aspect ratio, for each hole-to-channel area ratio, on the average mass (heat) transfer and the local mass (heat) transfer distribution on the exposed primary channel wall between consecutive blockages were examined. The results of the study showed that the blockages with holes caused the average mass (heat) transfer to be as high as about eight times that for fully developed turbulent flow through a smooth channel at the same mass flow rate. The elongated holes caused higher overall mass (heat) transfer and larger spanwise variation of the local mass (heat) transfer on the channel wall than round holes.