Transient flow and heat transfer phenomena in inclined wavy films

Abstract

A finite-element numerical scheme is used to study rigorously the flow of an inclined liquid film and the heat transfer from the constant-temperature wall. Regular inlet disturbances are predicted to evolve into periodic or solitary waves depending on the frequency of the forcing. At very low disturbance frequencies parasitic crests appear and the regularity of the wavetrain is lost. The effect of a solitary wavetrain on heat transfer from the wall is studied, and it is predicted that a stationary temperature distribution develops with periodic flux variation that follows the waves. The thinning of the substrate between successive humps combines with the effect of convection at the crest and tail of the solitary humps to produce heat transfer enhancement significantly above the conduction limit. (C) 2004 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.