Heat transfer in laminar flow of a yield-pseudoplastic fluid over an axisymmetric sudden expansion

The present study concentrates on the temperature field and corresponding heat transfer characteristics associated with the steady flow of a non-Newtonian yield-pseudoplastic fluid (Herschel-Bulkley fluid) over an axisymmetric sudden expansion. The governing continuity and fully elliptic momentum and energy equations are solved for various yield and Prandtl numbers, and power-law exponents in the laminar flow regime with constant fluid properties. The results establish the yield number as a parameter greatly affecting the Nusselt number distribution In addition, viscous heating is shown to significantly alter the Nusselt number distribution resulting in higher heat transfer rates.