Flow visualization and conjugate heat transfer study from shower head impinging jets

Computational and experimental investigations on a flat circular disk are reported with a constant heat flux imposed on its bottom surface and a shower head of air jets impinging on the top surface. The shower head consists of a central jet surrounded by four neighboring perimeter jets. Lamp black flow visualization technique and computations using shear stress transport (SST) Κ-ω turbulence model are employed to describe the complex interaction of the wall jets and the associated flow structure. Thermochromic liquid crystal measurement technique is used for surface temperature measurement. The formations of saddle point, nodal point of attachment, nodal point of separation, flow separation line and the up-wash flow are identified. It is observed that the flow topology is practically independent of Reynolds number within the investigated range but is significantly altered with the spacing between the jet orifice and the target surface. A strong correlation between the Nusselt number and the pressure distribution is noticed. Local variation of heat transfer rate with varying plate spacing to jet diameter ratio is significant but its effect on the area weighted average heat transfer rate is small. When compared with a single jet of equal mass flow rate and Reynolds number, the shower head jets provide higher heat transfer rate but require more power for pumping. Copyright © 2011 by ASME.