Fluid flow and combined free and forced convective heat transfer in a rotating curved circular tube (part 1)

Abstract

A theoretical study is made of the combined free and forced convective heat transfer and fluid flow in a rotating curved circular tube for the fully developed flow with the thermal boundary condition of constant heat flux per length of tube. The pertubation technique is employed for both 'positive' rotation and 'negative' rotation. And both heating and cooling are involved in the analyses. Based on the first order solution, the interaction among centrifugal force due to the curvature of the tube, Coriolis force contributed by the rotating of the tube and the centrifugal-type buoyancy force caused by temperature-induced density variation of the fluid in rotating field and their effects on the secondary flow and temperature distribution are discussed in some details. The second order solution, local and mean friction factors and Nusselt numbers will be given later in Part 2.