The influence of streamwise vortices on turbulent heat transfer in rectangular ducts with various aspect ratios

The effect of aspect ratio of rectangular duct on the turbulent flow and heat transfer is very important for its engineering applications. But the turbulent thermal fields have not been fundamentally scrutinized in spite of its engineering significance especially for cooling device. Hence, in the present study, large eddy simulation is applied to the turbulent flow and heat transfer in rectangular ducts with varying aspect ratio. The turbulent statistics of the flow and thermal quantities are calculated and the characteristics of wall Nusselt number are investigated for each rectangular duct. Especially, to scrutinize near-wall streamwise vortices, a conditional sampling technique is developed and adopted. Clockwise and counter-clockwise rotating streamwise vortices are sampled and the probability density function of the vortex circulation Reynolds number and wall Nusselt number are calculated. From the results, the time-averaged secondary flow caused by instantaneous vortical motions has a great effect on the heat and momentum transport of the flow in the rectangular ducts. Hence, the wall Nusselt number is enhanced near the downwash flow region of the secondary flow. However, with increasing the aspect ratio, the effects of the hot-sweep flow of the clockwise and counter-clockwise rotating vortices become equally dominant near the wall normal bisector of the ducts. During time averaging process, these two counter-rotating vortices are canceled out each other diminishing a secondary flow but they still enhance the wall heat transfer.

► With changing aspect ratio, the effect of secondary flows on the turbulent heat transfer is scrutinized by a LES.
► The conditional sampling technique of instantaneous near-wall streamwise vortices is developed.
► Clockwise and counter-clockwise rotating streamwise vortices are sampled and discussed with the wall heat transfer.
► The hot-sweep motions of CW and CCW vortices clearly appear with increasing aspect ratio.