Analytical solution for forced convection in a semi-circular channel filled with a porous medium

Abstract

Fully developed laminar forced convection inside a semi-circular channel filled with a Brinkman-Darcy porous medium is studied. Analytical solutions for flow and constant flux heat transfer are found using a mixture of Cartesian and cylindrical coordinates. The problem depends on a parameter s, which is proportional to the inverse square of the Darcy number. Velocity boundary layers exist when s is large. Both friction factor-Reynolds number product and Nusselt number are determined. Closed form expressions for the clear fluid (s → 0) limit are found. Rare analytical solutions not only describe fundamental channel flows, but also serve as a check for more complicated numerical solutions. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007.