Variable Fluid Property Effect on Heat Transfer and Frictional Flow Characteristics of Water Flowing through Microchannel

Abstract

The effects of temperature-dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity on heat transfer and frictional flow characteristics of water flowing through a microchannel are numerically investigated in this work. The hydrodynamically and thermally developing flow with no-slip, notemperature jump, and constant wall heat flux boundary condition is numerically studied using 2D continuum-based conservation equations. A significant deviation in Nusselt number from conventional theory is observed due to flattening of axial velocity profile due to temperaturedependent viscosity variation. The Nusselt number shows a significant deviation from conventional theory due to flattening of the radial temperature profile due to temperature-dependent thermal conductivity variation. It is noted that the deviation in Nusselt number from conventional theory is maximum for combined temperature-dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity variations. The effects of temperature-dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity on the Fanning friction factor are also investigated. Additionally, the effects of variable fluid properties on Poiseuille number, Prandtl number, and Peclet number are also investigated.