Heat and Flow Transport Analysis Around a Heated Circular Cylinder With Variable Fluid Properties

Abstract

The analysis of heat and fluid flow around cylindrical geometries has been of significant consideration owing to its extensive range of applicability in engineering and technological applications, particularly on an industrial scale, such as heat transfer apparatus, cooling devices, and energy transport phenomena. The fundamental objective of this study is to investigate and emphasize the importance of thermal analysis of fluid flow about a heated circular cylinder. In this context, the interpretation of buoyancy-driven flow and heat transfer dynamics surrounding a thermally active circular cylinder is crucial for reliable prediction of thermal efficiency in variable-property fluids. The novelty of this study stems from the simultaneous incorporation of fluctuating viscosity and temperature-dependent thermal conductivity manifestations in a buoyancy-driven flow model around a heated circular cylinder, offering a more physically accurate representation of transport mechanisms in variable-property fluids. Keeping in view the above coordinate system and the title of the problem, conservation equations in the form of momentum and energy will be formulated on the basis of laws of conservation. Later, the proposed system of partial differential equations will be converted into a dimensionless form by employing suitable dimensionless variables. Using a primitive variable formulation, the finite difference scheme is utilized to acquire the numerical treatment of the problem. The FORTRAN software is utilized for numerical outcomes, which are subsequently visualized using Tecplot. The consequences of the influential dimensionless parameters Prandtl number $\left(\text{Pr}\right),$ Grashoff number (Gr), the thermal conductivity modulation coefficient ($\gamma )$ and the coefficient of variable viscosity$\left(\epsilon \right)$, on velocity and temperature profiles will be explored and visualized through plots. The numerical outcomes depict that as Grashoff number increases, the velocity field increases, while the temperature profile decreases. In a contrasting manner, a growth in the viscosity variation parameter leads to a reduction in velocity and an enhancement in temperature. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity parameter is exhibited to escalate both velocity and temperature profiles. The thermal boundary layer becomes thinner with stronger buoyancy effects but thicker with increasing inclination angle and viscosity. The maximum skin friction and heat transfer rate are observed at intermediate inclination angles.