[This article belongs to Volume - 58, Issue - 01, 2026]
Gongcheng Kexue Yu Jishu/Advanced Engineering Science
Journal ID : AES-21-04-2026-135

Title : NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF TRIANGULAR RIBS PLACED ON THE WALL AND CORE OF THE RECTANGULAR DUCT ON HEAT TRANSFER AND FLUID FLOW CHARACTERISTICS.
Ebrahim Alabdali , Prof(Dr) Kedar Sant

Abstract :

The implementation of heat transfer enhancement techniques is critical for optimizing thermal performance and maximizing energy efficiency in modern engineering systems. Among passive augmentation strategies, turbulator ribs have proven exceptionally effective at promoting convective heat transfer. This numerical investigation examines the influence of triangular rib configurations on the heat transfer characteristics and fluid flow behavior within a rectangular duct. To identify the configuration that maximizes overall thermal performance, various arrangements were evaluated, including inline and staggered ribs positioned on the upper and lower duct surfaces. These wall-mounted ribs were designed to disrupt the development of boundary layers, thereby reducing thermal resistance. Furthermore, additional ribs were integrated into the flow core to induce artificial vortices and enhance fluid mixing. Simulations were performed using STAR-CCM+, utilizing air as the working fluid within a laminar regime (600-2100) under constant heat flux conditions. The findings demonstrate that combining wall and core ribs significantly intensifies the heat transfer rate, albeit at the cost of a notable increase in pressure drop. While the highest heat transfer rates were achieved with an inline wall-rib paired with a triple-core ribs configuration, this arrangement also incurred the highest pressure losses. Consequently, the optimal Thermal Performance Factor (TPF) of approximately 1.4 was realized through a balanced inline will ribs paired with a single staggered core rib configuration, which provided the most efficient trade-off between thermal gain and pressure penalty.