Analytical Investigations of the Performances and Effects of Heat Transfer Processes in Oscillatory Flow

Abstract

Heat transfer processes in oscillatory flow conditions remain a fascinating zone of learning round the globe for investigators. While steady flows have been extensively explored over the past two centuries and are now integral part of engineering curricula, however, oscillatory flow conditions are still puzzle and conundrum. To this end, their significance is well recognized in applications such as Stirling machines, thermoacoustic engines, and cryogenic refrigerators or pulsed-tube coolers. Oscillatory flow baffled reactors are successful examples of heat process growth in chemical engineering, Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. They have been publicized to provide upgraded performance in a numeral of process operations, comprising adsorption, polymerization, crystallization, and reaction among others. The continuous oscillatory baffled reactor (OBR) is a particular type of tubular reactor, which has drawn increasing attention over the past few decades due to the benefits it provides in terms of intensification of heat and mass transfer, as well as equipment compactness compared with stirred tank reactors. This process enhancement is principally due to the interaction of the oscillatory flow with internal baffles and the consequent generation of transverse flows and eddies. Continuous OBRs are already applied in several industrial sectors.. The current research is aimed at the analytical investigation of the performance and effects of heat transfer processes in oscillatory flows. The study uses literature review to develop a theoretical framework that is validated through the secondary analysis of data to come up with new insights. The findings suggest that oscillatory flows are accelerated by heat transfer processes, which in turn speeds up the transfer of heat from the point of high concentration to the point of low concentration.