Fundamental Experimental and Numerical Convective Heat Transfer Research

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The primary focus of the proposed research program is the improved fundamental understanding of single phase convective heat transfer. Knowledge of complex convective heat transfer processes is essential for the skillful design of a wide range of technologies that involve the exchange of heat by a fluid. The engineering applications span all sectors of the economy. In the past Discovery Grant period, the applicant developed a new analytical and numerical approach (called dQdT) that more effectively characterizes convective heat transfer in situations where heat is exchanged between multiple surfaces with multiple driving temperature differences. One goal of the proposed research is to extend this new approach as an experimental method for characterizing multi-temperature convection. This will add a new research technique for investigations, and will enable the validation of numerical predictions by dQdT. Also, the numerical implementation of dQdT will be applied to improve our understanding of the underlying physics of the highly complex flows that are encountered in buildings. The motivation is to refine the accuracy of heat transfer predictions in building energy analysis. Improvements in the capability to predict the thermal performance of buildings will lead to more comfortable and energy efficient designs. Another arm of the proposed research examines the convective heat transfer enhancements that can be achieved using dilute nanofluids. Nanofluids combine nanoparticles and base fluids to create working fluids that have the potential for use in a wide range of cooling technologies. At present, the magnitude and mechanisms of the convective heat transfer enhancement remain poorly understood. The proposed research will investigate this effect for transparent water-based nanofluids, using an optical measurement technique called laser interferometry. The ability of optical methods to quantify and visualize the entire fluid temperature field opens up important opportunities for new fundamental insights into the heat transfer enhancements produced by dilute nanofluids. The proposed research will be undertaken as an integrated program involving a balance between state-of-the-art experimental methods and computational fluid dynamics modeling. This research will provide excellent training experiences for doctoral, master's and undergraduate students, and will lead to fundamental advances in the field of convective heat transfer.