New Feature: Laminar Flow Analysis
In many heat exchangers, particularly those with small ducts, fully developed laminar flow in cooling channels is common. For cases with constant properties, exact solutions exist, leading to the well-known results
for the friction coefficient and Nusselt number in a circular pipe with constant heat flux, where
is the bulk Reynolds number based on the pipe diameter [1].
However, for variable-property flows, exact solutions are not available, and a boundary value problem must be solved. With the latest update to ThermoTurb, you can now seamlessly generate friction and heat transfer coefficients for laminar flows using the variable-property transformations described in our recent publication [2]. This is achieved by setting the eddy viscosity and eddy diffusivity to zero.
ThermoTurb now supports various flow configurations and forcing conditions, including circular pipe and plane channel flows, with options for uniform internal heating and constant heat flux. At the moment, the only supported fluid is air.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact us.
The ThermoTurb Team
[1] F.P. Incropera, D.P. DeWitt, T.L. Bergman, A.S. Lavine, Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, 6th ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
[2] D. Modesti, S. Pirozzoli, "Friction and heat transfer in forced air convection with variable physical properties," arXiv preprint arXiv:2404.10473 (2024).