Numerical Investigation of Nanofluid Flow and Heat Transfer in a Microchannel with a Flow-Disturbing Rib

In the present research, the fluid flow around a rectangular flow-disturbing rib in a rectangular microchannel has been numerically studied. The aim of this study is investigating the effect of key design parameters including the height and the length of rib and the Reynolds number on the hydrodynamic characteristics of fluid flow. Also, the forced convective heat transfer of the nanofluid flow in the aforementioned microchannel has been numerically studied. The aim of this study is investigating the effect of volumetric fraction of nanoparticles and the rib on the heat transfer. The steady, two-dimensional, and incompressible governing equations in laminar and turbulent regimes have been solved by the finite volume method in a smooth unstructured grid with appropriate number of cells clustered in the regions with intense gradients of flow parameters. The validation of simulations has been conducted by comparing the results with the available experimental data in the literature. This comparison shows a good agreement between them. The results of present work with great and validated details can be applied in the design of microsystems.