Flow structure and heat transfer characteristics in a ribbed two-pass channel with varying divider inclination angle

A numerical method is utilized in this paper to study the effects of varying divider inclination angle on the flow structure and heat transfer characteristics in a ribbed two-pass channel for Reynolds number varying from 10,000 to 50,000. The studied divider inclination angles are −3^°,−2^°,−1^°,0^°, +1^°, +2^° and +3^°. The ribs have an orientating angle of 45^°. The results show that the heat transfer in the bend region and in the passage upstream the bend is enhanced significantly and the heat transfer in the passage downstream the bend is reduced compared to a channel with a straight divider wall as the divider wall inclination angle varies from −3^° to +3^°. Channels with inclined divider wall produce higher pressure drop and friction factors than a channel with straight divider wall. According to the results, a channel with −1^° inclined divider shows the best thermal performance among all the channels investigated. The flow structure and heat transfer characteristics for all the channels are depicted in detail and discussed in this study.