HEAT TRANSFER AUGMENTATION DUE TO BUOYANCY EFFECTS IN THE ENTRANCE REGION OF A SHROUDED FIN ARRAY

Numerical solutions are given for the developing laminar mixed convection in a horizontal shrouded fin array. The governing equations for the three-dimensional parabolic flow have been numerically solved by a marching scheme. Detailed results are presented for the developing axial and secondary velocities, developing temperature profiles, local pressure gradient, and the Nusselt number. Computations are performed over a range of flow and geometric parameters. The results reveal that the buoyancy forces can have a significant influence on the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics.