Heat transfer characteristics of pulsatile flow through microchannel with heat-spots: Mimicking heat generation in the blood vessels

Abstract

Exploring the intricate interplay of heat transfer dynamics within two- and three-dimensional microchannels with static heat-spots, this study uncovers compelling insights into temperature distribution under varying wall conditions (adiabatic and constant wall temperature). The findings shed light on critical factors shaping heat transfer mechanisms. Key findings reveal that a channel with adiabatic walls experiences significantly higher temperatures than constant wall temperature cases, with a four-heat-spot configuration along the channel centerline yielding the highest temperatures. A stenosed channel experiences a larger temperature increase compared to the non-stenosed channel by a factor of 12–13 %. The study concludes with application to bio-fluid mechanics by studying hemodynamic condition in a bifurcated three-dimensional artery models. The location of heat-spots significantly influences the temperature distribution in the channel. A higher temperature rise appears in the case where heat-spot is located at the inlet of the narrower branch for the case of adiabatic wall conditions. These revelations hold promising implications for fields like medical science, where subtle temperature variations can indicate presence of inflammatory response in the blood vessel.