NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION ON FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF RIB-GROOVED TWISTED TAPE CHANNEL FIELED WITH Mg(OH)2 –ETHYLENE GLYCOL

The heat transfer and flow characteristics due to turbulent flow of nanofluids through rib– grooved channel and/or fitted with center-cleared twisted tape are numerically studied. The calculations are performed for uniform heat flux over a range of Reynolds number (Re) 2500– 10,000. The governing equations are numerically solved by a finite volume method (FVM) and the k–ε standard turbulent model. Studies are carried out for the Mg(OH) 2nano particle with different nanoparticles volume fractions in the range of 0–2%. The applied base fluid is ethylene glycol. Results indicated that the average Nusselt number in the case of using nanofluids is greater than using the base fluid. Furthermore, the results showed that the trapezoidal rib-grooved channel has the highest Nusselt number than the center-cleared twisted tape channel and smooth channel. Moreover the Nusselt number increased as the nanoparticle volume fraction and Reynolds number increased. The friction factor decreased by Reynolds number increment and it increased as the nanoparticles volume fraction increased. The results also revealed that the trapezoidal rib-grooved channel has the highest pressure drop and friction factor compared to other channels