Numerical study of convective heat transfer from periodic open cavities in a channel with oscillatory throughflow

A numerical study is performed on the fully developed forced-convection heat transfer in a grooved channel with a heated lower plate. Periodic flows are forced through the channel. The time-periodic variations of externally sustained pressure gradients imposed upon the throughflow have significant bearing on the interaction between the throughflow in the channel and the recirculatory flow inside the cavity. Aided by this interaction, convective heat transfer is pronounced for Re greater than or equal to 10(2), where Re is the oscillatory flow Reynolds number. As the Womersley number increases, the communication between the heated fluid inside the cavity and the throughflow is promoted, leading to heat transfer enhancement. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.