Numerical simulation of flow field and heat transfer in two parallel plates with periodic transverse ribs

In order to investigate the flow pattern and heat transfer in two parallel plates with eight periodic transverse ribs, the standard k-Ε turbulence model, RNG k-Ε turbulence model and Realizable k-Ε turbulence model incorporated in computational fluid dynamics software Fluent 6.2 were employed. With the same inflow conditions, the anticlockwise recirculation regions predicated by Realizable k-ψ model between adjacent ribs are larger than those obtained from the other two models. It is found that the pressure coefficient and local Nusselt number along the heated surface begin to vary periodically after the second rib. Also, the distributions of local Nusselt number predicated by the three models along the seventh rib surface were compared with experimental data. All the turbulence models can simulate the change of local Nusselt number. Results presented in this paper can be a reference for engineering design and application.