2013 IEEE Conference on Clean Energy and Technology (CEAT)
A CFD study of turbulent heat transfer and fluid flow
through the channel with semicircle rib
Hussein Togun
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, University of Thi-Qar,
Nassiriya, Iraq
E-mail:htokan_2004@yahoo.com,
Tuqa Abdulrazzaq
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing
Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
Selangor, Malaysia
E-mail:Tuka_eng@yahoo.com
Abstract In the present paper turbulent heat transfer and
fluid flow through the channel with semicircle ribs numerically
studied. The SST k- turbulence Model with finite volume
method was employed in simulation. The adopted boundary
condition considered step heights of ribs varied from 2.5mm to
10mm with pitch ratio different from 2.5 to 40 and flow Reynolds
number between 10000 to 25000 at constant surface temperature.
The computational results showed recirculation region after each
ribs which effect on performance of heat transfer rate. Increase
of Reynolds number and number of ribs leads to increase in heat
transfer coefficient. Step height and pitch ratio of ribs increase
local heat transfer coefficient along the channel. This simulation
has been done by ANSYS 14 FLUENT.
Keywords: Ribs conduit, Enhancement heat transfer, Turbulent
flow, Recirculation flow
INTRODUCTION
Due to the development occurred in many engineering
applications the investigation have been conducted to find
different methods to rise performance of thermal systems. In
the previousyears there are numerous attempts have been
considered to achieve greater heat transfer performance in
978-1-4799-3238-2/13/$31.00 2013 IEEE
S. N. Kazi
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
E-mail: salimnewaz@um.edu.my
A. Badarudin
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
E-mail:ab01@um.edu.my
M.K.A Ariffin
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing
Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
Selangor, Malaysia
E-mail:khairol@eng.upm.edu.my
heating systems such as heat exchangers, cooling channel,
evaporators condenser, etc. One of most important is use the
different types of ribs on the wall of channel to generate
recirculation flow as increase heat transfer performance. Han et
al. [1] have experimental study fluid flow and heat transfer
through the square duct by nine different shapes of rib. They
found highest enhancementof heat transfer and friction factor
achievedfor 60 orientation of ribs compared to other angled
ribs. Han and Zhang [2] presented investigation on
augmentation of heat transfer to fluid flow in duct with seven
different shapes. The augmentation of heat transfer wasaround
4.5 times at V ribs compared to smooth duct. Experimental and
numerical studies of heat transfer through pipe for 90 ribs on
the one wall were reported by Liou et al. [3]. Good data was
provided by using real time for holographic of interferometry
to measure time dependent of distribution of temperature and
also foundsatisfy agreement between experimental and
numerical results.
Xiufang and Bengt [4] performed investigation on pressure
drop andheat transfer for three rib roughened channel where
they have arranged staggered ribs with ratio varied from 1 to 8.
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 2013 IEEE Conference on Clean Energy and Technology (CEAT)

Enhanced heat transfer coefficient was observed at one end of I. NUMERICAL PROCEDURE
rib and decreased at the other due to secondary flows. Effect
number of ribs wall on the performance of heat transfer rate Mathematical model
was investigated by Chandra et al. [5] where they noticed
increase in heat transfer augmentation with increased number ICEM and ANSYS 14 FLUENT were adopted in this
of ribs. Ahn [6] conducted experimental investigation the simulation for solving continuity, momentum, and energy
effect shape of ribs on heat transfer through the duct where the equations. The considered assumptions were two dimensional,
results revealed higher performance of heat transfer for turbulent flow, steady state, and air as the working fluid. A
triangular ribs compared to others. finite volume method with the SST k- turbulence Model was
achieved for solving the flowing Navier stokes equations (1-6).
Turbulent convection heat transfer and friction loss fluid
flow throughthe channel fitted with different shaped ribs were
(1)
experimentally studied by Pongjet and Chinaruk [7]. They used
triangular and rectangular ribs with arrange in line and
staggered arrays for aspect ratio AR=15 and step height of h=6
 
mm. The results show higher thermal augmentation of heat
transfer for triangular ribsof staggered array compared to
others.
(2)

Smulsky et al. [8] performed experimental investigate on
separated flow and heat transfer on surface channel with
  (3)
different orientation of ribs. Three steps height with angle
varied from 50 to 90 were employed in their experimental.
The maximum local heat transfer coefficient was about 40% at where
50 larger than others. Nine et al. [9] have experimental
studied turbulence air flow and friction factor through channel
with semicircular ribs. A good agreement between (4)

experimental and numerical results was obtained and showed
effect of configuration of ribs on the enhancement of heat
The SST k- turbulence Model is defined in this study
transfer.
thus the transport equations are reported by the equations (5-6).
The purpose of the presented paper is to study the

augmentationof heat transfer and fluid flow in pipe with  (5)

different dimension of semicircle ribs.

DESCRIPTION OF GEOMETRY AND BOUNDARY CONDITIONS  (6)

Fig. 1 illustrates the geometry of the considered Grid Independent study

configuration of this model where study of distributions of
local heat transfer coefficient on wall rib channel is formed.
The length and diameter of the channel are 1000 mm and 40
mm respectively. Semicircle ribs on wall was used with step
height varied from 2.5 mm to 10 mm and width varied from
5mm to 20 mm and pitch ratio (p/w) varied from 10 to 40 for
2.5mm rib height, 5 to 20 for 5 mm rib height, and 2.5 to 10
for 10 mm rib height. The Reynolds number was 10000,
15,000, 20,000, and 25000 with constant wall temperature of
320 K.
The momentum and energy equations with second order
upwind scheme and SIMPLE coupling velocity and pressure
drop were solved. Our strategy for obtaining grid independent
study used three sizes of meshing and compared the results at
the boundary condition of h/H= 0.12, p/w= 10, and Re= 10000
where noticed a little different in value of local heat transfer
coefficient then adopted this grid independent as shown Fig.2.

Fig.1. Geometry model

Fig. 2 Grid Independent

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II. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Effect of pitch ratio

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 illustrate variations of local heat transfer

coefficient on walls at the Reynolds number of 25000 with
different pitch ratios (p/w) and step height (h) 2.5, 5, 10 mm.
Increase in the local heat transfer coefficient observedwiththe
decreasedof pitch ratio for all range of step heights of ribs due
to increase of number ribs and boundary layer distribution
induced turbulent augmentation heat transfer.

B. Effect of step height ratio

Distribution of local heat transfer coefficient on walls at the

Reynolds number of 25000 and step height ratios of h/H 0.06,
0.12, and 0.25 with pitch space 200, 100 ,and 50 mm are
presented in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 respectively. The results
indicated that the increase of step height ratio leads to increase
of heat transfer enhancement for all cases.

C. Effect of Reynolds number

Figs. 9, 10, and 11 illustrate effect of Reynolds number on

profile of local heat transfer coefficient at 0.12 ratio of step
height (h/H)and pitch ratios (p/w) of 20, 10 and 5. The
obtained results show to increase heat transfer coefficient by
increase Reynolds number at all pitch ratios.

E. Contour of velocity

Contour of streamline velocity are plotted in Figs. 12(A, B,

and C) for Reynolds number 25000 and step height ratio of h/H
0.12 and pitch ratios (p/w) of 5, 10 and 20. Recirculation
region were noticed after each rib and increased with the
increase of step height and Reynolds number. Decrease of
pitch ratio leads to increase in the number of ribs on walls and
then recirculation regions increased which then improved
performance heat transfer rate. Fig. 4 Variations of local heat transfer coefficient on walls at
Reynolds number 25000 and step height h=2.5 mm with
different pitch ratio (p/w)

III. CONCLUSIONS

Enhancement of heat transfer and fluid flow in pipe with

different dimension of semicircle ribs numerically studied. The
results showed that the increase in local heat transfer
coefficient with the decrease of pitch ratio for all range of step
heights of ribs due to increase of number ribs. Also increase
either Reynolds number or step height has effect on the local
heat transfer coefficient where the highest of local heat transfer
coefficientobserved at Reynolds number of 25000, step ratio
h/H 0.12 and pitch ratio p/w 5.

Fig. 5 Variations of local heat transfer coefficient on walls at

Reynolds number 25000 and step height h=10 mm with
different pitch ratio (p/w)

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Fig. 6Effect step height ratio on local heat transfer

coefficient at Reynolds number 25000 and pitch space
200mm
Fig. 9Effect Reynolds number on local heat transfer
coefficient at different step ratio h/H 0.12 and pitch ratio
p/w 20

Fig. 7Effect step height ratio on local heat transfer

coefficient at Reynolds number 25000 and pitch space
100mm Fig. 10Effect Reynolds number on local heat transfer
coefficient at step ratio h/H 0.12 and pitch ratio p/w 10

Fig. 8Effect step height ratio on local heat transfer

coefficient at Reynolds number 25000 and pitch space Fig. 11Effect Reynolds number on local heat transfer
50mm coefficient at step ratio h/H 0.12 and pitch ratio p/w 5

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i, j Components

t Turbulent

eff Effective

m Mixture

P Nanoparticles

f Base Fluid
A-(p/w = 20)
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors gratefully acknowledge high-impact research

Grant UM.C/HIR/ MOHE/ENG/46 and the University of
Malaya, Malaysia for support in conducting this

REFERENCES
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ASME, Journal of Heat Transfer vol. 113, pp. 590596, 1991.
[2] J.C. Han, Y.M. ZhangHigh performance heat transfer ducts with
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Heat and Mass Transfer vol. 35, pp. 513523, 1992.
[3] T.M. Liou, J.J. Hwang, S.H. Chen Simulation and measurement
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C-(p/w = 5) 2003.
[6] S. W. Ahn, The effects of roughness types on friction factors and
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20), B-(p/w=10, C-(p/w=5) [7] PongjetPromvonge, ChinarukThianpong, Thermal performance
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Greek Symbols International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer vol. 35,pp.
13271334, 2008.
Thermal conductivity (Wm-1K-1) [8] Ya.I. Smulsky, V.I. Terekhov , N.I. Yarygina, Heat transfer in
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Dynamic viscosity (Pa s) at different orientation angles relative to flow direction International
Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer vol. 55, pp. 726733, 2012.
[9] Md J. Nine, Gyeonghwan Lee, Hanshik Chung, MyoungkukJi,
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semicircular ribs in a rectangular channel Thermal Science (2012)
Wall Shear Stress (Pa) pp. 142-142, 2012.

Kinematic viscosity (m2s-1)

Turbulent Prandtl number

Subscripts

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