Heat transfer from laminar flow in ducts with elliptic cross-section

Summary The cooling of a hot fluid in laminar Newtonian flow through cooled elliptic tubes has been calculated theoretically. Numerical data have been computed for the two values 1.25 and 4 of the axial ratio of the elliptic cross-section . For =1.25 the influence of non-zero thermal resistance between outmost fluid layer and isothermal surroundings has also been investigated. Special attention has been given to the distribution of heat flux around the perimeter; when increases the flux varies more with the position at the circumference. This positional dependence becomes less pronounced, however, as the (position-independent) thermal resistance of the wall increases.Flattening of the conduit, while maintaining its cross-sectional area constant, improves the cooling. Comparison with rectangular pipes shows that this improvement is not as marked with elliptic as with rectangular pipes.Nomenclature A_k=A_{m, n} coefficients of expansion (6) - a, b half-axes of ellipse, b - a_p=a_{r, s} coefficients of representation (V) - D hydraulic diameter, = 4S/P; S = cross-sectional area, P = perimeter - D_e equivalent diameter, according to (13) - n coordinate (outward) normal to the tube wall - T temperature of fluid - T_i temperature of fluid at the inlet - T_s temperature of surroundings - v₀ mean velocity of fluid - v_z longitudinal velocity of fluid - x, y carthesian coordinates coinciding with axes of ellipse - z coordinate in flow direction - , dimensionless half-axes of ellipse, =a/D and =b/D - _t heat transfer coefficient from fluid at bulk temperature to surroundings; equation (11) - _w heat transfer coefficient at the wall; equation (3) - axial ratio of ellipse, = a/b = / - , , , dimensionless coordinates; =x/D, =y/D, =z/D, =n/D - dimensionless temperature, = (T–T_s)/(T_i–T_s) - ₀ cup-mixing mean value of ; equation (10) - thermal conductivity of fluid - _m,n=_k eigenvalue - c volumetric heat capacity of fluid - _{m, n}=_k=_k eigenfunction; equations (6) and (I) - Nu total Nusselt number, = _tD/ - Nusselt number at large distance from the inlet - Nu_w wall Nusselt number, = _wD/, based on _w - Pé Péclet number, = ₀Dc/