Chaotic heat transfer enhancement in rotating eccentric annular-flow systems

Thermal Taylor dispersion theory for time-periodic systems was used to study the extent of chaotic laminar heat transfer enhancement and axial thermal dispersion occurring during combined transverse and axial annular flow between two nonconcentric circular cylinders undergoing alternate rotations. A local Newton’s “law of cooling” heat transfer boundary condition was used on the outer cylinder, whereas the inner cylinder was supposed insulated. The effective heat transfer coefficient H* describing the global rate of heat loss from the system (differing in general from the true microscale Newton’s law heat transfer coefficient h on the outer cylinder) was calculated as a function of the system parameters, thereby serving to quantify the extent of chaotic heat transfer enhancement. The axial thermal Taylor dispersivity provided an independent measure of the effects of chaotic mixing, as too did the axial thermal velocity. Calculations were performed for three different cases: (i) concentric cylinder rotati...