Numerical results for flow and heat transfer are obtained by finite difference method for steady fully developed laminar flow in curved rectangular channels under the thermal boundary conditions of axially uniform wall heat flux and peripherally uniform wall temperature at any axial position. It is found that the parameter K (Dean number) is important for the governing equations under consideration. The numerical method yields solutions for a reasonably wide range of Dean number for the curved rectangular channels with aspect ratios y = 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 con sidered in this study. The method used complements the boundary layer approximation which is available in the literature and is applicable for high Dean number region only. Graphical results for Pr = 0.73 are presented for the ratios of Nusselt numbers, and products of friction factor and Reynolds number between the curved and straight channels, Nu/(Nu) Q and (fRe)/(fRe)Q, respectively, with Dean Number as a parameter. Typical examples for axial velocity distributions, temperature profiles, isotherms, and stream lines and velocity profiles for secondary flow are also shown. For square channel, the effect of Prandtl number on the heat transfer results is also investigated. Comparison of the present result with the results for the curved square channel available in the literature shows clearly that reasonable estimate can be made for the flow and heat transfer results for the Dean number ranging from 150 to 1000 where currently accurate solutions are not available.

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