Experimental Investigation of Heat Transfer Enhancement in Rectangular Duct with Pentagonal Ribs

Rib turbulators are extensively used in augmentation of convective heat transfer in several applications related to heat exchange and cooling in thermal energy systems. Present experimental investigation examines the local heat transfer and friction factor characteristics of pentagonal ribs mounted on bottom heated wall of a rectangular channel. The emphasis is towards assessing and analysing the potential impact of varying chamfering angle (0 to 20°) and rib pitch to height ratio (6 to 12) on the overall heat transfer enhancement and its distribution on the surface. Experiments are performed at different Reynolds numbers ranging from 9400 to 58850. Liquid crystal thermography is applied to measure surface temperature distribution and finally to demonstrate the local heat transfer coefficient over the ribbed surface. The results depict that the local augmentation Nusselt number distribution is axisymmetric and shows 2-dimensionalty in heat transfer distribution. Pentagonal ribs show a significant improvement for the low heat transfer zones in leeward vicinity of the square rib, specially prominent at higher Reynolds number, and therefore seen as the potential benefit in terms of obviating the hotspots. It is observed that the pentagonal ribs lead to superior heat transfer enhancement in conjunction with significant reduction in pressure penalty as compared to square ribs and thus ensures an enhanced thermo-hydraulic performance.