Heat transfer of a row of three butane/air flame jets impinging on a flat plate

Experiments were performed to investigate the heat transfer characteristics of a row of three premixed, laminar, butane/air flame jets impinging on a water-cooled flat plate. The between-jet interference was found to reduce the heat transfer rate in the jet-to-jet interacting zone due to the depressed combustion. The interference became stronger when the jet-to-jet spacing and/or the nozzle-to-plate distance were/was small. The positive pressure existed in the between-jet interacting zone caused the asymmetric flame and heat transfer distribution of the side jet. The meeting point of the spreading wall jets of the central and the side jets did not occur at the midpoint of the neighboring jets, but at a location shifted slightly outwards. The maximum local heat flux and the maximum area-averaged heat flux occurred at a moderate nozzle-to-plate distance of 5d with a moderate jet-to-jet spacing of 5d. The lowest area-averaged heat flux was produced when both the jet-to-jet spacing and the nozzle-to-plate distance were small. Comparing with a single jet under the same experimental conditions, the heat transfer rates in both the stagnation point and the maximum heat transfer point were shown to be enhanced in a row of three-jet-impingement system. The present study provided detailed information on the heat transfer characteristics of a row of three in-line impinging flame jets, which had rarely been reported in previous study.     

Heat transfer characteristics of three interacting methane/air flame jets impinging on a flat surface

An experimental study has been conducted for three interacting methane/air flame jets (arranged in a triangular configuration) impinging normally on a flat surface. Surface heat flux distributions have been determined for various dimensionless inter-jet spacings (S/d = 3, 4, 6 and 7.58) and separation distances between the exit plane of the burners and the target plate (H/d = 2, 2.6, 5 and 7). All experiments were conducted for stoichiometric mixture at a Reynolds number of 800. The surface heat flux distributions were intimately related to flame shapes. For small inter-jet spacings and small separation distances, flames were deflected outward from the centroid of the triangular arrangement due to strong interaction between the jets. The heating was quite non-uniform at very large inter-jet spacings. Zones of low heat flux were obtained when the tip of inner reaction zones were intercepted by the plate (H/d = 2). There were sharp peaks in the heat flux distribution when the tips of the inner reaction zones just touched the impingement surface (H/d = 2.6). Heat flux distribution was non-uniform at small separation distances (H/d = 2 and 2.6). For the system of flame jets under consideration, the optimum configuration, considering the magnitude of the average heat flux and the uniformity in the heat flux distribution, was corresponding to H/d = 5 and S/d = 3.     

Heat transfer and wall pressure characteristics of a twin premixed butane/air flame jets

Experimental studies were carried out to investigate the flame shape and the heat transfer and wall pressure characteristics of a pair of laminar premixed butane/air flame jets impinging vertically upon a horizontal water-cooled flat plate at jet Reynolds numbers of 800, 1000 and 1200, respectively. Equivalence ratio of the butane/air mixture was maintained constantly at unity. The flame shape, the pressure distribution on the impingement plate and the heat transfer from the flame to the plate were greatly influenced by the interference occurred between the two flame jets. This interference caused a sharp pressure peak at the between-jet midpoint and the positive pressures at the between-jet area, which led to the separation of the wall jet from the impingement plate after collision. Such interference became more significant when the non-dimensional jet-to-jet spacing (S/d) and the nozzle-to-plate distance (H/d) were reduced. Heat transfer in the interaction zone between the jets was at the lowest rate due to this interference at the smallest S/d ratio of 2.6, resulting from the separation of the high-temperature inner reaction zone of the flame from the impingement plate. On the other hand, the interference enhanced the heat transfer in the interaction zone between the jets when the S/d ratio was greater than 5, by enhancing the heat transfer coefficient. The average heat flux of the impingement plate was found to increase significantly with the increasing H/d ratio until H/d=6. The present study provided detailed information on flame shape and the heat transfer and wall pressure characteristics of a twin laminar pre-mixed impinging circular flame jets, which has rarely been reported in previous studies.     

Impinging premixed butane/air circular laminar flame jet--influence of impingement plate on heat transfer characteristics

Experimental studies were performed to study the heat transfer characteristics of an impingement flame jet system consisting of a premixed butane/air circular flame jet impinging vertically upward upon a horizontal rectangular plate at laminar flow condition. There were two impingement plates manufactured with brass and stainless steel respectively used in the present study. The integrated effects of Reynolds number and equivalence ratio of the air/fuel jet, and distance between the nozzle and the plate (i.e. nozzle-to-plate distance) on heat transfer characteristics of the flame jet system had been investigated. The influence in using impingement plate with different thermal conductivities, surface emissivities and roughnesses on heat flux received by the plate was examined via comparison, which had not been reported in previous literatures. A higher resistance to heat transfer had been encountered when the stainless steel impingement plate of lower thermal conductivity was used, which led to a significantly lower heat flux at the stagnation region. However, the heat flux distribution in the wall-jet region of the plate was only slightly affected by using different impingement plates. Because of the significantly lower heat transfer, more fuel was not required to consume and existed at the stagnation region of the stainless steel impingement plate, which would be burned latter in the wall-jet region to release its chemical energy and enhance the local heat flux there.     

On the similitude between lifted and burner-stabilized triple flames: a numerical and experimental investigation

We have investigated lifted triple flames and addressed issues related to flame stabilization. The stabilization of nonpremixed flames has been argued to result due to the existence of a premixing zone of sufficient reactivity, which causes propagating premixed reaction zones to anchor a nonpremixed zone. We first validate our simulations with detailed measurements in more tractable methane–air burner-stabilized flames. Thereafter, we simulate lifted flames without significantly modifying the boundary conditions used for investigating the burner-stabilized flames. The similarities and differences between the structures of lifted and burner-stabilized flames are elucidated, and the role of the laminar flame speed in the stabilization of lifted triple flames is characterized. The reaction zone topography in the flame is as follows. The flame consists of an outer lean premixed reaction zone, an inner rich premixed reaction zone, and a nonpremixed reaction zone where partially oxidized fuel and oxidizer (from the rich and lean premixed reaction zones, respectively) mix in stoichiometric proportion and thereafter burn. The region with the highest temperatures lies between the inner premixed and the central nonpremixed reaction zone. The heat released in the reaction zones is transported both upstream (by diffusion) and downstream to other portions of the flame. Measured and simulated species concentration profiles of reactant (O₂, CH₄) consumption, intermediate (CO, H₂) formation followed by intermediate consumption and product (CO₂, H₂O) formation are presented. A lifted flame is simulated by conceptualizing a splitter wall of infinitesimal thickness. The flame liftoff increases the height of the inner premixed reaction zone due to the modification of the upstream flow field. However, both the lifted and burner-stabilized flames exhibit remarkable similarity with respect to the shapes and separation distances regarding the three reaction zones. The heat-release distribution and the scalar profiles are also virtually identical for the lifted and burner-stabilized flames in mixture fraction space and attest to the similitude between the burner-stabilized and lifted flames. In the lifted flame, the velocity field diverges upstream of the flame, causing the velocity to reach a minimum value at the triple point. The streamwise velocity at the triple point is ≈0.45 m s⁻¹ (in accord with the propagation speed for stoichiometric methane–air flame), whereas the velocity upstream of the triple point equals 0.7 m s⁻¹, which is in excess of the unstretched flame propagation speed. This is in agreement with measurements reported by other investigators. In future work we will address the behavior of this velocity as the equivalence ratio, the inlet velocity profile, and inlet mixture fraction are changed.     

Heat transfer from a turbulent swirling inverse diffusion flame to a flat surface

The heat transfer characteristics of a turbulent and swirling inverse diffusion flame (IDF) impinging vertically normal to a flat surface were investigated experimentally. The heat flux was measured by a heat flux sensor, Vatell HFM-6D/H. The effects of Reynolds number, overall equivalence ratio, nozzle-to-surface distance H and swirl number on the heat flux distributions were examined. The comparison of heat transfer of impinging IDFs with and without swirl was also conducted.The experimental results showed that the swirling effect influences the local heat flux in three ways. (1) The heat transfer at the stagnation point is severely suppressed. (2) The peak of local heat flux dwells at a radial distance from the stagnation point. (3) The radial position of peak local heat flux shifts farther away from the stagnation point with increasing H. There exists an optimum value of H at which the heat transfer to the target surface is the maximum and the optimum H increases with increasing Ф while the Reynolds number and the swirl number are unchanged.The comparison of IDFs revealed that the swirling IDF has more complete combustion and thus it is accompanied by higher heat transfer rates at small H at which there exists a cool core in the case of the non-swirling IDF. The IDF, however, has worse heat transfer at higher H where the non-swirling IDF achieves complete combustion while the swirling IDF has been cooled by the entrained ambient air.Upon comparing the swirling and non-swirling IDFs at the same Re and Ф, their respective optimum H showed an unfavorable effect of swirl on the overall heat transfer rate which has a reduction of up to 25% in the swirling IDF compared with the non-swirling IDF.     

Asymmetric entrainment effect on the local surface temperature of a flat plate heated by an obliquely impinging two-dimensional jet

The flow and temperature fields caused by a two-dimensional heating air jet obliquely impinging on a flat plate are experimentally characterized. Whilst the jet flow is discharged at Re_Dh = 8.2 × 10³ based on the hydraulic diameter of the orifice, D_h, and the jet exit-to-plate spacing (separation distance) is fixed at 8D_h, the impingement angle (inclination) is systematically decreased from 90° (normal impinging) to 30° (oblique impinging). A separate experiment is carried out for a two-dimensional cooling jet obliquely impinging on a heated plate (constant heat flux). The results demonstrate that the response of local surface temperature to plate inclination behaves in a completely different manner. For impinging jet cooling, the inclination (from normal impinging position) reduces the local effective temperature values at corresponding points about actual stagnation point, inclusive of it. For impinging jet heating, the inclination causes, conversely, an increase in local surface temperature including the stagnation point temperature. However, the shifting of the actual stagnation point towards the uphill side of the plate is consistently observed for both hot and cold jet cases. This newly found feature for an obliquely impinging jet is attributed to the combined effects of asymmetric entrainment and momentum redistribution (i.e., thickening/thinning of hydraulic boundary layers on each side of the plate with respect to the actual stagnation point).     

Interactions for flames in a coaxial flow with a stagnation point

The possible burning structures existing in two co-flowing combustible mixtures with different compositions, and their implications to the field of turbulent combustion are examined in this study. A coaxial burner with a quartz plate was used to experimentally investigate the flames of methane/air and propane/air mixtures propagating in a coaxial flow impinging onto a stagnation surface. The possible burning structures were observed to be: (1) a single-flame (a lean or rich premixed flame); (2) a double-flame (two lean or rich premixed flames, or a rich premixed flame and a diffusion flame); and (3) a triple-flame (a rich premixed flame, a diffusion flame and a lean premixed flame). An inner (or outer) mixture, far beyond the flammability limit, can still burn if a stronger outer (or inner) flame supports it. The extinction limit of the top part of the inner hat-shaped premixed flame is nearly independent of the burning intensity of the outer flame. It was found that the inner flame has a wider flammable region than the outer flame, and that the latter has a narrower flashback region than the former. Both propane and methane flames may exhibit flame-front instability, although the former displays much more clearly than the latter. Cellular and polyhedral instabilities can exist individually or appear simultaneously in the inner flame. However, only polyhedral (stripped-pattern) instability was observed in the outer flame. Finally, the experiments were analyzed theoretically using a simple geometrical model incorporated with the numerical simulations. The predicted shapes and locations of the flames are in good agreement with the experimental observations qualitatively.     

Convective heat transfer from a partially premixed impinging flame jet. Part I: Time-averaged results

Axial and radial profiles of time-averaged local heat fluxes of methane-air jet flames impinging normal to a cooled plate are reported, as functions of equivalence ratio, Reynolds number, and nozzle-plate spacing. Time-resolved behavior for these conditions is examined in the companion paper, Part II. Flame structure was studied visually and photographed. Both premixed and diffusion flame behavior was observed. Nozzle-stabilized flames revealed a stable, axisymmetric flame structure at nozzle-plate spacings less than 14 diameters. At greater nozzle-plate spacings, buoyancy-induced instabilities caused the flame to oscillate visibly. Lifted flames exhibited varied flame structures dependent upon the Reynolds number, equivalence ratio, and nozzle-plate spacing, stabilizing in the free jet, at the stagnation zone, or downstream in the wall jet. Local heat flux measurements made in the stagnation zone and along the plate adjacent to the wall jet flame revealed correlation of the local heat flux to the flame structure. Negative heat fluxes resulted from cool gases impinging on the hotter plate. The magnitude of positive heat fluxes depended on the proximity of the flame to the sensor surface, the rate of heat release, and the local molecular and turbulent transport.     

Modeling study on the characteristics of laminar and turbulent argon plasma jets impinging normally upon a flat plate in ambient air

Modeling study is performed to compare the flow and heat transfer characteristics of laminar and turbulent argon thermal-plasma jets impinging normally upon a flat plate in ambient air. The combined-diffusion-coefficient method and the turbulence-enhanced combined-diffusion-coefficient method are employed to treat the diffusion of argon in the argon–air mixture for the laminar and the turbulent cases, respectively. Modeling results presented include the flow, temperature and argon concentration fields, the air mass flow-rates entrained into the impinging plasma jets, and the distributions of the heat flux density on the plate surface. It is found that the formation of a radial wall jet on the plate surface appreciably enhances the mass flow rate of the ambient air entrained into the laminar or turbulent plasma impinging-jet. When the plate standoff distance is comparatively small, there exists a significant difference between the laminar and turbulent plasma impinging-jets in their flow fields due to the occurrence of a large closed recirculation vortex in the turbulent plasma impinging-jet, and no appreciable difference is found between the two types of jets in their maximum values and distributions of the heat flux density at the plate surface. At larger plate standoff distances, the effect of the plate on the jet flow fields only appears in the region near the plate, and the axial decaying-rates of the plasma temperature, axial velocity and argon mass fraction along the axis of the laminar plasma impinging-jet become appreciably less than their turbulent counterparts.     

Experimental study and theoretical analysis of local heat transfer distribution between smooth flat surface and impinging air jet from a circular straight pipe nozzle

An experimental investigation is performed to study the effect of jet-to-plate spacing and Reynolds number on the local heat transfer distribution to normally impinging submerged circular air jet on a smooth and flat surface. A single jet from a straight circular nozzle of length-to-diameter ratio (l/d) of 83 is tested. Reynolds number based on nozzle exit condition is varied between 12,000 and 28,000 and jet-to-plate spacing between 0.5 and 8 nozzle diameters. The local heat transfer characteristics are estimated using thermal images obtained by infrared thermal imaging technique. Measurements for the static wall pressure distribution due to impinging jet at different jet-to-plate spacing are made. The local heat transfer distributions are analyzed based on theoretical predictions and experimental results of the fluid flow characteristics in the various regions of jet impingement. The heat transfer at the stagnation point is analyzed from the static wall pressure distribution. Semi-analytical solution for heat transfer in the stagnation region is obtained assuming an axisymmetric laminar boundary layer with favourable pressure gradient. The heat transfer in the wall jet region is studied considering fluid flow over a flat plate of constant heat flux. However, heat transfers in the transition region are explained from reported fluid dynamic behaviour in this region. Correlations for the local Nusselt numbers in different regions are obtained and compared with experimental results.     

Large-eddy/Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulation of a supersonic reacting wall jet

This work presents results from large-eddy/Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (LES/RANS) simulations of the well-known Burrows–Kurkov supersonic reacting wall-jet experiment. Generally good agreement with experimental mole fraction, stagnation temperature, and Pitot pressure profiles is obtained for non-reactive mixing of the hydrogen jet with a non-vitiated air stream. A lifted flame, stabilized between 15 and 20 cm downstream of the hydrogen jet, is formed for hydrogen injected into a vitiated air stream. Flame stabilization occurs closer to the hydrogen injection location when a three-dimensional combustor geometry (with boundary layer development resolved on all walls) is considered. Volumetric expansion of the reactive shear layer is accompanied by the formation of large eddies which interact strongly with the reaction zone. Time averaged predictions of the reaction zone structure show an under-prediction of the peak water concentration and stagnation temperature, relative to experimental data, but display generally good agreement with the extent of the reaction zone. Reactive scalar scatter plots indicate that the flame exhibits a transition from a partially-premixed flame structure, characterized by intermittent heat release, to a diffusion-flame structure that could probably be described by a strained laminar flamelet model.     

Experimental and numerical study on the occurrence of off-stagnation peak in heat flux for laminar methane/air flame impinging on a flat surface

A combined experimental and numerical study has been conducted to investigate the occurrence of off-stagnation peak for laminar methane/air flame impinging on a flat surface. Experiments were conducted for three tube burners of internal diameter 8 mm, 9.7 mm and 12 mm. Radial heat flux distributions were compared (experimentally) for different burner diameters under identical operating conditions (with firing rates of 0.25 kW, 0.40 kW and 0.50 kW, ? = 1 and H = 40 mm). An off-stagnation point peak in heat flux was observed for some of the configurations in the present study which is in accordance with the previous findings. This off-stagnation point peak is a function of stand-off distance between the exit plane of the burner and the plate and also the distance between flame-tip and the plate. A satisfactory explanation is presented to explain the existence of this off-stagnation peak with the help of results of numerical simulation carried out with commercial CFD code FLUENT. It is concluded that this off-stagnation peak in heat flux is primarily due to the peak in the axial velocity profile close to the impingement surface.     

Convective heat transfer from a partially premixed impinging flame jet. Part II: Time-resolved results

This is the second of a two-part paper on heat transfer from an impinging flame jet reporting time-resolved results. Axial and radial profiles of time-resolved local heat fluxes of methane-air jet flames impinging normal to a cooled plate are reported, including the root mean square (RMS), probability distribution function (PDF), and the power spectral density (PSD) of the heat flux fluctuations as a function of equivalence ratio, Reynolds number, and nozzle-plate spacing. The RMS, PDF, and PSD of the heat flux signal from the stagnation point and along the plate revealed correlation of the local heat flux to the flame structure. Impingement heat flux from premixed nozzle-stabilized flames was characterized by small RMS fluctuations and frequency behavior indicating the formation of weak, buoyancy-driven vortex structures at the shear layer between the hot gases surrounding the flame and the ambient air. Conversely, diffusion flames were characterized by much larger RMS fluctuations and PSD’s indicating the development of much larger vortex structures. Time-resolved heat flux for lifted flames varied according to flame structure and combustion intensity. PSD magnitudes were related to the range of temperatures in the flow; greater temperature ranges produced larger heat flux variations. The contributing frequencies were related to the duration of the heat flux fluctuation; more rapid changes in heat flux produced higher frequency content.     

Heat transfer of impinging air and liquid nitrogen mist jet onto superheated flat surface

This experimental study performs the detailed heat transfer measurements of an impinging air-liquid nitrogen mist jet onto a superheated flat surface at atmospheric pressure with reference to the design of an instant freezing facility. A selection of experimental results illustrates the interacting effects of jet Reynolds number, mass flow ratio of air to liquid nitrogen flows and separation distance on the spatial distributions of heat transfer over the impinging surface. Mechanism associated with phase change of impacting droplets generates an enhanced and uniformly distributed heat transfer region centered on the stagnation point. A narrow oval-ring region encapsulating the enhanced core transits heat transfer from the wetting regime of complete evaporation to the non-wetting rebound regime. Stagnation heat transfer augmentation factor in the range of 1.2-2.8 times of the air-jet level is achieved. An empirical correlation based on the experimental data, which is physically consistent, has been developed to permit the evaluation of stagnation heat transfer.     

Experimental investigation on the heat transfer of an impinging inverse diffusion flame

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the heat transfer characteristics of an inverse diffusion flame (IDF) impinging vertically upwards on a horizontal copper plate. The IDF burner used in the experiment has a central air jet surrounded circumferentially by 12 outer fuel jets. The heat flux at the stagnation point and the radial distribution of heat flux were measured with a heat flux sensor. The effects of Reynolds number, overall equivalence ratio, and nozzle-to-plate distance on the heat flux were investigated. The area-averaged heat flux and the heat transfer efficiency were calculated from the radial heat flux within a radial distance of 50 mm from the stagnation point of the flame, for air jet Reynolds number (Re_air) of 2000, 2500 and 3000, for overall equivalence ratios (Φ) of 0.8–1.8, at normalized nozzle-to-plate distances (H/d_IDF) between 4 and 10. Similar experiments were carried out on a circular premixed impinging flame for comparison.It was found that, for the impinging IDF, for Φ of 1.2 or higher, the area-averaged heat flux increased as the Re_air or Φ was increased while the heat transfer efficiency decreased when these two parameters increased. Thus for the IDF, the maximum heat transfer efficiency occurred at Re_air = 2000 and Φ = 1.2. At lower Φ, the heat transfer efficiency could increase when Φ was decreased. For the range of H/d_IDF investigated, there was certain variation in the heat transfer efficiency with H/d_IDF. The heat transfer efficiency of the premixed flame has a peak value at Φ = 1.0 at H/d_P = 2 and decreases at higher Φ and higher H/d_P. The IDF could have comparable or even higher heat transfer efficiency than a premixed flame.     

Analysis of the heat transfer of an impinging laminar flame jet

Flame jet impingement is used in many industrial processes. In this paper an analytical expression is derived for the heat flux of a laminar flame impinging on a flat plate, where the flame jet is approximated by a hot inert jet with the position of the tip of the flame taken equal to the nozzle position. The heal flux in this expression is dependent on the nozzle-to-plate spacing, in contradiction to existing (semi-analytical) relations. The geometry is divided in a region far from the plate and a region dose to the plate. For both regions the velocity profiles are calculated using only the dominant terms of the balance equations. Subsequently these profiles are linked to each other at the boundary between the two zones. Implementing the resulting velocity profile for the complete geometry in the energy equation and integrating over the whole domain results in an expression for the heat flux from the flame to the plate at the hot spot. Numerical calculations show very good agreement with the results of the analytical derivation.     

Experimental study of vortex-flame interaction in a gas turbine model combustor

The interaction of a helical precessing vortex core (PVC) with turbulent swirl flames in a gas turbine model combustor is studied experimentally. The combustor is operated with air and methane at atmospheric pressure and thermal powers from 10 to 35 kW. The flow field is measured using particle image velocimetry (PIV), and the dominant unsteady vortex structures are determined using proper orthogonal decomposition. For all operating conditions, a PVC is detected in the shear layer of the inner recirculation zone (IRZ). In addition, a co-rotating helical vortex in the outer shear layer (OSL) and a central vortex originating in the exhaust tube are found. OH chemiluminescence (CL) images show that the flames are mainly stabilized in the inner shear layer (ISL), where also the PVC is located. Phase-averaged images of OH-CL show that for all conditions, a major part of heat release takes place in a helical zone that is coupled to the PVC. The mechanisms of the interaction between PVC and flame are then studied for the case P = 10 kW using simultaneous PIV and OH-PLIF measurements with a repetition rate of 5 kHz. The measurements show that the PVC causes a regular sequence of flame roll-up, mixing of burned and unburned gas, and subsequent ignition of the mixture in the ISL. These effects are directly linked to the periodic vortex motions. A phase-averaged analysis of the flow field further shows that the PVC induces an unsteady lower stagnation point that is not present in the average flow field. The motion of the stagnation point is linked to the periodic precession of the PVC. Near this point burned and unburned gas collide frontally and a significant amount of heat release takes place. The flame dynamics near this point is also coupled to the PVC. In this way, a part of the reaction zone is periodically drawn from the stagnation point into the ISL, and thus serves as an ignition source for the reactions in this layer. In total, the effects in the ISL and at the stagnation point showed that the PVC plays an essential role in the stabilization mechanism of the turbulent swirl flames. In contrast to the PVC, the vortices in the OSL and near the exhaust tube have no direct effect on the flame since they are located outside the flame zone.     

Heat transfer characteristics of an impinging inverse diffusion flame jet. Part II: Impinging flame structure and impingement heat transfer

This paper is the second part of the experimental study on exploring the feasibility of inverse diffusion flame (IDF) for impingement heating. The structures and heat transfer characteristics of an impinging IDF jet have been studied. Four types of impinging flame structure have been identified and reported. The distributions of the wall static pressure are measured and presented. The influences of the global equivalence ratio (), the Reynolds number of the air jet (Re_air), and the non-dimensional burner-to-plate distance (H/d_air), on the flame structure, and the local and averaged heat transfer characteristics, are reported and discussed. The highest heat transfer occurs when the tip of the flame inner reaction zone impinges on the plate. The heat transfer rate from the impinging IDF is found to be higher than that in the premixed flame jet due to the augmented turbulence level originated from the flame neck. This high heat transfer rate, together with its in-born advantage of no danger of flashback and low level of nitrogen oxides emission, demonstrates the blue, dual-structured, triple-layered IDF is a desirable alternative for impingement heating.     

Heat transfer reduction at the separation point on a spinning sphere in mixed convection

The unsteady laminar thermal boundary‐layer flow over an impulsively started translating and spinning isothermal body of revolution in the case of mixed convection is investigated. Velocity components and temperature are obtained as series of functions in powers of time. The general results are applied to a spinning sphere and the development of the surface heat flux evaluated at the separation point as it advances upstream is determined. The surface heat flux evaluated at the separation point as it moves forward decreases due to the increasing magnitude and influence of the centrifugal force and it is augmented by the opposing flow and reduced by the aiding flow. Reduction of the surface heat flux at the separation point is as low as 50 per cent as compared to the heat flux at the front stagnation point. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.