Effects of entrance region transport processes on free convection slip flow in vertical microchannels with isothermally heated walls

Natural convection gaseous slip flows in vertical microchannels with isothermal wall conditions are numerically investigated, in order to analyze the influence of the entrance (developing) region on the overall heat transfer characteristics. A long channel aspect ratio is considered, so as to achieve both hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed conditions at the channel exit. In other words, the flow-field within the microchannel consists of both developing and fully developed regimes. A wide range of Rayleigh number is covered, so that the cases of very short and relatively large entrance lengths can be analyzed in the same unified mathematical framework. With first order velocity and temperature jump conditions at the microchannel walls, local and average Nusselt number values are computed, by invoking the Navier Stokes equation and the energy conservation equation. It is recognized that the micro-scale effects, being associated with the velocity slip and temperature jump conditions, exhibit enhancements in the rate of heat transfer, as compared to the similar macro-scale geometries. The relative enhancements in the average Nusselt number become more prominent for higher values of Knudsen number, whereas this augmentation effect is found to be somewhat arrested at higher values of Rayleigh number. Contrasting features in the heat transfer rate predictions with and without the considerations of the entrance region effects are also carefully noted. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.