Abstract: Wall effects for fluid flow and heat transfer in a glass bead packed channel between two parallel grooved plates are investigated. The experimental results demonstrated that grooves on the heated surface changed the contact between the packed beads and the wall. The grooves on the heated surface lowered the flow resistance and enhanced the film heat transfer coefficient 2~3 times that of flat plates. The results suggest that a proper combination of packed beads and grooves can lead to the optimum heat transfer for a specific configuration.

Key words: Heat transfer enhancement, Porous medium, Wall effects