Multichannel Flow Domains

Figure 2.36 Multichannel flow domain with typical averaging volume for obtaining volume-averaged enthalpy equations.

The most straightforward porous media model which can be used to describe the flow in the multichannel domain is the Darcy equation [117]. The Darcy equation represents a simple model used to relate the pressure drop and the flow velocity inside a porous medium. Applied to the geometry of Figure 2.26 it is written as... 

For simplicity, consider an incompressible medium flowing through the multichannel domain depicted in Figure 2.36. In a number of practical applications the heat flux in the x-direction will be very small compared with that in the y-direction. Then the volume-averaged enthalpy equation for the solid walls can be written as... 

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