Abstract

Numerical study of mixed convection heat transfer within axial triangular channel was predicted. The channel surfaces have equal length and have a constant temperature. The fluid flow is hydrodynamic laminar buoyant and in thermal formed phase. The study involves the solution of partial differential equations for Navier-Stock and energy in terms of vorticity and stream-function by finite difference technique. The solution is done by using Body Fitted coordinate system due to the complex shapes of the triangular channel. The study demonstrates the effect of mixed convection heat transfer in entrance region for high Prandtl number and for Rayleigh numbers (0- 4*10), such that when Rayleigh number increases, the heat transfer in entrance region will increase due to generation of the secondary flow which causes increase in thermal mixing through the channel and finally reduces the thermal entrance length. When Peclet number increases, the secondary flow strength is reduced due to forced convection effect. The study shows that the channel angles reduce the heat transfer in channel because it generate boundary layer which decreases the heat transfer from surface to fluid.