Mixed Convection Along a Wavy Surface

The results of a study of mixed-convection flow along a wavy surface are presented. The forced-convection component of the heat transfer contains two harmonics. The amplitude of the first harmonic is proportional to the amplitude of the wavy surface; the second harmonic is proportional to the square of this amplitude. Thus, for a slightly wavy surface, only the influence of the first harmonic can be detected. The natural-convection component is a second harmonic, with a frequency twice that of the wavy surface. Since natural convection has a cumulative effect, the second harmonic eventually becomes the dominant component far downstream from the leading edge where forced convection is the dominant heat transfer mode. The results also demonstrate that the total mixed-convection heat flux along a wavy surface is smaller than that of a flat surface.