Abstract

The unsteady laminar flow and heat transfer characteristics in a plane channel with two square bars mounted staggered to the approaching flow are numerically analyzed. A finite volume method is applied with a fine grid and time resolution. The longitudinal and transverse separation distances between the bars are varied, whereas the bar height to channel height d/H, and the Reynolds number based on channel height Re, are d/H=1/8 and 800 respectively. Complex flow patterns develop in the channel due the interaction between the two staggered square bars. For the cases with L/d? 2 shedding of vortices with only one frequency are present in the flow, and biased flow with frequency modulation of the vortices shedding for the cases with L/d<2 are found. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.