Use of porous baffles to enhance heat transfer in a rectangular channel

An experimental investigation was carried out to measure module average heat transfer coefficients in uniformly heated rectangular channel with wall mounted porous baffles. Baffles were mounted alternatively on top and bottom of the walls. Heat transfer coefficients and pressure loss for periodically fully developed flow and heat transfer were obtained for different types of porous medium (10, 20, and 40 pores per inch (PPI)) with two window cut ratios (B-h/D-h=1/3 and 2/3) and two baffle thickness to channel hydraulic diameter ratios (B-t/D-h=1/3 and 1/12). Reynolds number (Re) was varied from 20,000 to 50,000. To compare the effect of foam metal baffle, the data for conventional solid-type baffle were obtained for (B-t/D-h=1/3). The maximum uncertainties associated with module Nusselt number and friction factor were 5.8% and 4.3% respectively. The experimental procedure was validated by comparing the data for the straight channel with no baffles (B-h/D-h=0) with those in the literature [Publications in Engineering, vol. 2, University of California, Berkeley, 1930, p. 443; Int. Chem. Eng. 16 (1976) 359]. The use of porous baffles resulted in heat transfer enhancement as high as 300% compared to heat transfer in straight channel with no baffles. However, the heat transfer enhancement per unit increase in pumping power was less than one for the range of parameters studied in this work. Correlation equations were developed for heat transfer enhancement ratio and beat transfer enhancement per unit increase in pumping power in terms of Reynolds number. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.