Analysis of Turbulence of Flow Field and Heat Transfer Near a Single Rotating Disk via Numerical Simulation

Finding the exergy destruction or entropy generation leads to a better design from the view point of useful energy. To accurately determine the entropy generation, the flow field parameters must be solved as precisely as possible. Many technologies utilize rotating-disk systems and such systems can be used to model the flow that occurs in the turbines or other rotating bodies. In this work a numerical investigation is reported of the fluid flow and heat transfer of a two dimensional axisymmetric, steady state and incompressible turbulent flow in a rotating single disk. The finite volume method is used for solving the governing equations. The numerical model and results are validated by comparing those to the previously reported experimental data for velocities, moment coefficient, temperature and Nusselt number. It is demonstrated that increasing the axial distance increases the value of tangential velocity, while the maximum value of nondimensional radial velocity occurs near the disk wall. It is also found that moment coefficient decreases with increasing rotational Reynolds number, and that increasing the axial distance decreases the value of dimensionless temperature. However, the computed local Nusselt number varies linearly with respect to rotational Reynolds number. Good agreement is observed between the computed results and available experimental data.