Correlations for maximum possible induced flow rates and heat transfer parameters in open-ended vertical eccentric annuli

Fully developed laminar free convection in open-ended vertical eccentric annuli is studied under the boundary conditions of heating one of the annulus walls with uniform heat flux while the other wall is kept at ambient temperature. Correlations are developed by a regression analysis on the numerical solutions for the momentum equation using an analytical solution of the coupled energy equation. The developed correlations give the maximum possible induced flow rates and heat transfer parameters as functions of the geometric parameters, namely, the annulus eccentricity and radius ratio.