This study numerically investigates flow and heat transfer in a channel with arc-vane baffles at various radius-to-channel high ratios (r/H = 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and 0.5) for Reynolds numbers between 6000 and 24,000, focusing on solar air-heater applications. The calculations utilize the finite volume method, and the SIMPLE algorithm is executed with the QUICK scheme. For the analysis of turbulent flow, the finite volume method with the Renormalization Group (RNG) k-ε turbulence model was used. The results show that arc-vane baffles create double vortices along the axial direction, promoting flow reattachment on the heated surface and enhancing heat transfer. Baffles with smaller r/H ratios strengthen flow reattachment, reduce dead zones, and improve fluid contact with the heat transfer surface. The baffles with the smallest r/H ratio achieve a Nusselt number ratio (Nu/Nu_s) of 4.91 at Re = 6000. As r/H increases, the friction factor (f) and friction factor ratio (f/f_s) rise due to increased baffle curvature and surface area. The highest thermal performance factor (TPF) of 2.28 occurs at r/H = 0.125 and Re = 6000, reflecting an optimal balance of heat transfer and friction losses. Arc-vane baffles with a r/H ratio of 0.125 yield a TPF exceeding unity, indicating potential energy savings. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing baffle designs to enhance thermal performance in practical applications.

This study numerically investigates heat transfer and thermodynamic behavior in twisted square and rectangular air ducts while keeping a constant hydraulic diameter (D_h = 30 mm). Three aspect ratios are considered (AR = 1.00, 0.75, and 0.50). The heated test section (900 mm) is divided into three equal segments, and three pitch patterns are examined: a uniform pitch (400–400–400 mm, P444) and two axial gradients (300–400–500 mm, P345; 500–400–300 mm, P543). All results are compared to a standard reference, the straight square duct (SD-AR1.00), to ensure fair comparisons across all cases with Reynolds numbers between 5000 and 20,000. Among the twisted ducts, the strongest rectangularity combined with the increasing pitch sequence, TSD-AR0.50-P345, provides the best overall balance. Its heat transfer rises from Nu = 39.39 to 88.62, giving Nu/Nu₀ = 1.493 → 1.433, while the pressure penalty increases to f/f₀ = 1.345 → 1.405. Under cube-root weighting of friction, this case maintains the highest thermal performance factor, TPF = 1.352 at Re = 5000 and TPF = 1.279 at Re = 20,000. Second-law trends support the same ranking: exergy destruction decreases from 12.81 W (baseline) to 8.44 W at Re = 5000 (≈34% reduction) and from 6.54 W to 4.84 W at Re = 20,000 (≈26% reduction). The Bejan number remains high at low Reynolds numbers (≈0.998), indicating heat-transfer irreversibility dominance, but drops at higher Reynolds numbers (≈0.87) as frictional effects become more important. In general, the results show that adding a small axial pitch increase to rectangularity can improve near-wall mixing while reducing losses downstream. This leads to a clear improvement in both first-law performance and exergy-based measures.

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of heat transfer enhancement, flow resistance, and thermal performance in rectangular channels equipped with three baffle configurations: conventional transverse baffles (TBs), in-line downward-facing notched baffles (IDF-NBs), and staggered downward-facing notched baffles (SDF-NBs). The influence of the pitch-to-baffle height ratio (P/e), ranging from 2.0 to 10, was examined across Reynolds numbers from 6000 to 24,000. Results indicate that a P/e ratio of 6.0 consistently yielded the highest Nusselt numbers across all configurations. While the TB configuration produced significant heat transfer at P/e= 6.0, it experienced a substantial friction penalty, with its best thermal enhancement factor (TEF = 1.168) observed at P/e = 8.0. The IDF-NB configuration achieved optimal performance at P/e = 6.0 with a TEF of 1.257, offering a better balance between heat transfer and flow resistance. The SDF-NB arrangement outperformed all other cases, delivering the highest Nusselt number (Nu = 116.9), TEF (1.362), and improved flow reattachment, primarily due to enhanced mixing from the staggered layout. These findings demonstrate that the staggered notched baffle configuration at P/e = 6.0 offers the most effective thermal performance enhancement among the configurations studied.