Fluid flow and mixed convection heat transfer in a rotating curved pipe

When a temperature-induced variation of fluid density occurs in a rotating curved pipe, the Coriolis force, the centrifugal-type buoyancy force and the centrifugal force will contribute to the generation of the secondary flow. The interaction of these body forces complicates the characteristics of flow and heat transfer. A numerical study is performed to examine the combined effects of rotation (Coriolis force), curvature (centrifugal force) and heating/cooling (centrifugal-type buoyancy force), and solutions are obtained for a wide range of parameters. The combined effects of these comparable order of magnitude forces on the flow structure, temperature distribution, friction factor and Nusselt number are examined in detail. Present works show the natures of the flow and heat transfer in rotating curved pipes. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.