Numerical simulation of turbulent fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics of heated blocks in the channel with an oscillating cylinder

In this study, numerical simulations have been carried out to investigate the influence of transient flow field structures, and the heat transfer characteristics of heated blocks in the channel with a transversely oscillating cylinder. To solve the interaction problems between liquid and solid interface in the simulations, a Galerkin finite element formulation with Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method (ALE) is adopted. The main parameters in the study are Reynolds numbers (Re = 800–8000), dimensionless oscillating frequencies (F = 0.1–0.4), dimensionless amplitudes (L = 0.05–0.4). The results of numerical simulations show that the oscillating cylinder induces the flow vibration. This phenomenon disturbs the flow and thermal fields in the channel flow, and the heat transfer rate in the channel would be enhanced. Furthermore, the resonance effect of channel flow and oscillating cylinder can be observed as the oscillating frequency of the cylinder approach to the vortex shedding frequency. Due to the phenomenon of resonance in the channel flow, the heat transfer rate is enhanced more remarkably. In the studied ranges, the results show that the optimum dimensionless cylinder oscillating frequency and dimensionless amplitude value are 0.21 and 0.1 and that the heat transfer from heated blocks is enhanced as the oscillating frequency of the cylinder is in a lock-in region.