TY - JOUR
TI - Optimizing heat transfer in laminar channel flow using inclined inverted L-shaped obstacles
AU - Ikumapayi Omolayo M
AU - Kaid Noureddine
AU - Larguech Samia
AU - Menni Younes
AU - Bayram Mustafa
AU - Bayode Abiodun
AU - Ting Tin Tin
AU - Akgul Ali
AU - Özer Salih
JN - Thermal Science
PY - 2025
VL - 29
IS - 4
SP - 3219
EP - 3227
PT - Article
AB - This study numerically investigates the influence of obstacle inclination and  flow rate on the convective heat transfer performance in a 3-D rectangular  channel equipped with periodically arranged inverted L-shaped obstacles.  Using the finite element method, simulations were conducted for laminar flow  conditions across a range of Reynolds numbers (Re = 20-600) and obstacle  inclination angles (30°, 45°, and 60°). Water was used as the working fluid,  and thermal enhancement was evaluated using temperature contours, local  Nusselt number distributions, and average Nusselt values. Results reveal  that increasing both Reynolds number and obstacle inclination significantly  enhances thermal performance. The 60° configuration consistently yielded the  highest local and average Nusselt numbers, with up to 99.5% improvement over  the 30° case at Re = 600. Temperature fields confirmed enhanced vortex  formation, mixing, and wall impingement in steeper geometries. This study  highlights the potential of obstacle inclination as a passive enhancement  technique in compact thermal systems operating under laminar flow  conditions.