Numerical study of fully developed non-Newtonian fluid flow and heat transfer in a rectangular channel with a moving wall

Flow and heat transfer characteristics in a rectangular channel covered by an isothermally heated moving wall were studied for a non-Newtonian fluid obeying the power-law relationship under fully developed creeping flow conditions. The governing partial differential equations were solved using the finite element method together with a penalty formulation. A practical application behind the present study is the screw extrusion process. Several simplifications were, however, introduced into the analysis, and therefore the primary purpose of this study is not to characterize the flow and heat transfer in the actual screw extruder, but to present a first effort towards this goal. The most interesting result revealed by the analysis is that the recirculatory motion set up by the diagonally moving top wall has a pronounced influence on the heat transfer.