A quasi‐three‐dimensional numerical calculation procedure for periodically fully‐developed heat and fluid flow

Abstract

Purpose

To introduce a novel numerical calculation procedure for periodically fully developed heat and fluid flow, which can treat three‐dimensional velocity and temperature fields, using a two‐dimensional storage.

Design/methodology/approach

The three‐dimensional Navier‐Stokes equation and energy equation have been transformed into quasi‐three‐dimensional forms. An appropriate set of explicit periodic boundary conditions have been obtained for thermally fully developed flow through a general three‐dimensional periodic structure, exploiting the volume averaging theory.

Findings

The proposed numerical procedure has been found inexpensive and efficient. Its validity has been proved by comparing the results obtained for a bank of long cylinders in yaw against available experimental data.

Originality/value

Since no explicit sets of periodic boundary conditions of this kind have been reported before, they will be exploited by researchers and practitioners interested in efficient numerical computations of three‐dimensional periodic heat and fluid flows.

Citation

Nakayama, A. and Kuwahara, F. (2005), "A quasi‐three‐dimensional numerical calculation procedure for periodically fully‐developed heat and fluid flow", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 379-393. https://doi.org/10.1108/09615530510590623