Effects of pulsation on separated flow and heat transfer in enlarged channel

Numerical results of three-dimensional separated flow and heat transfer in an enlarged rectangular channel are presented in this paper. The expansion ratio and aspect ratio of the channel are 2.0 and 16.0, respectively. Reynolds number of the flow is 200 and it is over the critical Reynolds number. Over the critical Reynolds number, the flow in the symmetric channel becomes asymmetric and deflects to one side of the walls. Effects of the pulsating fluctuation at the inlet upon the flow in the channel are investigated. It is clarified that the inlet flow with a pulsating fluctuation of Strouhal number 0.05 and 0.10 strongly affects on the flow in the channel, and heat transfer on the walls is enhanced, especially on the wall surface covered with long separation bubble. On the other hand, the pulsation of St = 0.0125 oscillates the shear layer more weakly than that of St = 0.05, 0.10 and the enhancement of heat transfer is smaller, though some vortices are shed from the vicinity of the side wall near the reattachment region. The oscillation of the main flow calms down gradually as the Strouhal number of the pulsation increases over 0.10. The influence of pulsation of St = 0.20 on the flow is restricted in the near downstream of the step, and heat transfer on the walls is almost similar to that of the steady flow in the channel.