Conjugate Wall Conduction-Fluid Natural Convection in a Three-Dimensional Inclined Enclosure

Laminar conjugate conduction-natural convection heat transfer in a 3-D inclined cubic enclosure comprised of finite thickness conductive walls and central cavity is numerically investigated. The dimensionless governing equations describing the convective flow and wall heat conduction are solved by the high accuracy multidomain pseudospectral method. Computations are performed for different Rayleigh numbers (10³ ≤ Ra* ≤ 10⁶), thermal conductivity ratios (1 ≤ k ≤ 100), dimensionless wall thickness (0 ≤ s ≤ 0.25), and enclosure inclinations (?30° ≤ α ₁ ≤ 30°, 0° ≤ α ₂ ≤ 45°). The effects of the above controlling parameters on the heat transfer performances of the enclosure system are investigated in detail, with emphases on the variations of wall conduction and fluid convection heat transfer, and the interactive heat transfer conditions between solid walls and fluid in the central cavity. Numerical results reveal that the existence of enclosure walls reduces the temperature gradient across the cavity and alters the temperature distribution within the solid walls; thus, the fluid convection is complexly determined by the combined effects of k and s, and is greatly affected by enclosure inclinations at high Rayleigh numbers. Moreover, the temperature distributions and solid-fluid interactive heat transfer conditions are provided for further interpretation and demonstration of the effects of the solid walls.     

Numerical Study and POD-Based Prediction of Natural Convection in a Ferrofluids–Filled Triangular Cavity with Generalized Neural Networks

The effects of a magnetic dipole source on the natural convection of ferrofluids in a triangular cavity are studied. A partial heater is added to the left vertical wall of the cavity while the right vertical wall is kept at the constant temperature. A magnetic dipole source is placed outside the cavity close to the heater. The governing equations of a coupled multi-physics system are solved with a commercial solver using the finite element method. Computations are performed for different ranges of parameters: Rayleigh number (10⁴  ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁶ ), strength of the magnetic dipole (0 ≤ γ ≤ 8), horizontal and vertical location of the magnetic dipole (?2.5H ≤ a ≤ ?0.5H, 0.2H ≤ b ≤ 0.8H). It is observed that the interaction between natural convection and ferrofluid convection under the influence of magnetic dipole affects the flow and thermal field in such the triangular enclosure. The external magnetic field acts in such a way to decrease local heat transfer in some locations and increase it in others for certain combinations of flow parameters and therefore it can be used as a control parameter for fluid flow and heat transfer. Furthermore, an interpolation method based on Proper Orthogonal Decomposition and Generalized Neural Networks is proposed to predict the thermal performance of the system. This approach gives satisfactory results in terms of local and averaged heat transfer values.     

Effects of Wall-Located Heat Barrier on Conjugate Conduction/Natural-Convection Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow in Enclosures

The effects of a heat barrier, located in the ceiling wall of an enclosure, on conjugate conduction/natural convection are investigated numerically. The vertical walls of the enclosure are differentially heated and the horizontal walls are adiabatic. Heatline technique is used to visualize heat transport. The variations of average Nusselt number, dimensionless heat transfer rate through the ceiling wall, and dimensionless overall heat transfer rate are studied. Calculations are performed for different Rayleigh numbers (10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁶), thermal conductivity ratios (1 ≤ K ≤ 100), dimensionless locations of the heat barrier (0 < X _h  < 1),and two dimensionless ceiling wall thicknesses (D = 0.05 and D = 0.20). For high thermal conductivity ratio (K = 100), the heat barrier considerably reduces the dimensionless overall heat transfer rate. The effect of the heat barrier on dimensionless heat transfer rate through the enclosure increases as the Rayleigh number decreases. For low Rayleigh number (i.e., Ra = 10³), a location exists in the ceiling wall for which the dimensionless overall heat transfer rate is minimum.     

Unsteady Mixed Convection of a Confined Jet in a Fluid-Superposed High Porosity Medium

Numerical study of a confined jet impingement cooling of a fluid-superposed porous medium heated from below is conducted to investigate the oscillatory mixed convection. The effects of the Rayleigh number (2 × 10⁵ ≤ Ra ≤ 1 × 10⁶) and the Darcy number (1 × 10^?5 ≤ Da ≤ 5 × 10^?4) on the heat transfer are investigated for different Péclet numbers. It is found that, the average Nusselt number increases with the increase in Darcy number or Rayleigh number. The values of average Nusselt number are found to oscillate with time for some combination of Rayleigh numbers (Ra ≥ 4 × 10⁵) and Péclet numbers (200 ≤ Pe ≤ 1000), at which the oscillatory convection occurs. The oscillation of average Nusselt number is investigated for different porous medium height and porous medium-to-fluid heat capacity ratio.     

MHD Mixed Convection in a Channel with a Triangular Cavity

A numerical study has been carried out in an open channel, which have a heated triangular cavity at the bottom wall. The remaining walls of the channel are adiabatic. Flow inlets to the channel with uniform velocity and fully developed flow are accepted at the exit of the channel. Steady state mixed convection by laminar flow has been studied by numerically solving governing equations to obtain flow field and temperature distribution under the magnetic field and Joule effect. Equations are solved via the Galerkin weighted residual finite element technique. Calculations are performed for different governing parameters such as Hartmann number (10 ≤ Ha ≤ 100), Reynolds number (100 ≤ Re ≤ 2,000), Rayleigh number (10³ ≤Ra ≤ 10⁵), Joule parameter (0 ≤ J ≤ 5), and Prandtl number (1 ≤ Pr ≤ 10). It is found that heat transfer decreases with an increasing of the Hartmann number especially at higher values of Rayleigh number. Fluid temperature at the exit of the channel also decreases with increasing of Hartmann number. Fluid temperature at the outlet of the channel becomes higher at low Reynolds number and higher Rayleigh number. However, it decreases with the decreasing of the Reynolds number.     

Heatlines for Visualization of Heat Transport for Natural Convection within Porous Trapezoidal Enclosures with Various Wall Heating

A detailed study on natural convection heat transfer within porous trapezoidal enclosures has been carried out for two different cases. The effect of linearly heated side walls on flow pattern is investigated in case 1; whereas, the effect of linearly heated left wall and cold right wall is studied in case 2. In both cases, the bottom wall of the cavity is uniformly heated and the upper wall is adiabatic. The results are analyzed for a wide range of parameters such as Rayleigh number, Ra(10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁶), Prandtl number, Pr(0.015 ≤Pr ≤ 988.24), and Darcy number, Da(10^?5 ≤ Da ≤ 10^?3).     

Natural Convection Heat Transfer Enhancement in a Square Cavity Periodically Cooled from Above

The present article reports numerical results of natural convection within an air filled square cavity with its horizontal walls submitted to different heating models. The temperature of the bottom horizontal surface (hot temperature) is maintained constant, while that of the opposite surface (cold temperature) is varied sinusoidally with time. The remaining vertical walls are considered adiabatic. The parameters governing the problem are the amplitude (0 ≤ a ≤ 0.8) and the period (τ ≥ 0.001) of the variable temperature, the Rayleigh number (10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 7 × 10⁶), and the Prandtl number (Pr = 0.71). In constant cooling conditions (a = 0), up to three different solutions (monocellular flow MF, bicellular vertical flow BVF, and bicellular horizontal flow BHF) are obtained. Their existence ranges are delineated and, in the limits of the existence range of each solution, the transitions observed are identified and described. In the variable cooling conditions, the effect of the amplitude and the period of the exciting temperature on fluid flow and heat transfer is examined in the case of the MF, and BHF for specific values of Ra. Results are presented in terms of Ψ _max (t), Ψ _min (t), Nu(t) and streamlines, heatlines, and isotherms during the evolutions of selected flow cycles. In comparison with the constant heating conditions, it is found that the variable cooling temperature could lead to a drastic change in the flow structure and the corresponding heat transfer, especially at specific low periods of the cold variable temperature. This leads to a resonance phenomenon characterized by an important increase in heat transfer by about 46.1% compared to the case of a constant cold temperature boundary condition.     

A DOMAIN DECOMPOSITION METHOD FOR SOLVING THREE-DIMENSIONAL HEAT TRANSPORT EQUATIONS IN A DOUBLE-LAYERED THIN FILM WITH MICROSCALE THICKNESS

Transient-free convection in a porous enclosure having heat-conducting solid walls of finite thickness under conditions of convective heat exchange with an environment was studied numerically. A heat source of constant temperature was located at the bottom of the cavity. The governing equations in porous volume formulated in dimensionless variables such as the temperature and vector potential functions within the Darcy–Boussinesq approach and the transient three-dimensional heat conduction equation based on the Fourier hypothesis for solid walls with corresponding initial and boundary conditions were solved using an iterative implicit finite-difference method. The main objective was to investigate the influence of the Rayleigh number 10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁶, the Darcy number 10^?5 ≤ Da ≤ 10^?3, the thermal conductivity ratio 1 ≤ k_1,2 ≤ 20, the solid wall thickness ratio 0.1 ≤ l/L ≤ 0.3, and the dimensionless time 0 ≤ τ ≤ 200 on the fluid flow and heat transfer. Comprehensive analysis of the effects of these key parameters on the average Nusselt number at the heat source surface was conducted.     

Role of Entropy Generation On Thermal Management During Natural Convection in a Tilted Square Cavity with Isothermal and Non-Isothermal Hot Walls

Entropy generation during natural convection within tilted square cavity inclined with different angles (? = 30°and 75°) for various thermal boundary conditions (case 1: isothermal heating and case 2: non-isothermal heating) has been studied. Simulations are carried out over a range of parameters: Rayleigh number (10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁵) and Prandtl numbers (Pr = 0.025 and 998.24). The numerical results are presented in terms of isotherms (θ), streamlines (ψ), entropy generation due to heat transfer (S _θ ) and fluid friction (S _ψ ). Heating strategy is energy efficient for case 2 (non-isothermal heating) due to its less total entropy generation with reasonable heat transfer rate, irrespective of Pr.     

Numerical study of mixed convection in a ventilated square enclosure with the lattice Boltzmann method

In this article, numerical study of heat transfer by convection in a square cavity was investigated. The vertical walls of the cavity are differentially heated and the horizontal walls are considered adiabatic. A ventilation jet is created by a fan placed in the cavity. A lattice Boltzmann model for incompressible flow equation is used to simulate the problem. A parametric study was performed presenting the influence of Reynolds number (20 ≤ Re?≤?500), Rayleigh number (10≤Ra?≤?10⁺⁶), and fan position (0.2?≤?L_F≤0.8). It has been observed that heat transfer rate increases with the Reynolds number increasing and it is maximal for the L_F=0.2.     

Jet Impingement Cooling of a Finite Thickness Solid Layer Conjugated with Porous Medium

The present study numerically investigates the mixed convection-conduction problem of impingement cooling of a finite thickness solid wall conjugated with a porous medium. The heat transfer is investigated over wide ranges of governing parameters: Rayleigh number (50 ≤ Ra ≤ 100), Péclet number (1 ≤ Pe ≤ 10³), solid wall thickness (0.05 ≤ H ≤ 0.25), heat transfer coefficient parameter (0.1 ≤ H _v  ≤ 10), and solid wall thermal conductivity (0.24 ≤ k _w  ≤ 240). The results shows that the total average Nusselt numbers can be increased with the decrease in H and increase in k _w and H _v . Opposing mixed convection is demonstrated to occur and the minimum value of average Nusselt numbers for fluid are found except for a low value of k _w .     

On the Validity of the Isothermal Model for Natural Convection Flow around Blocks Submitted to Volumetric Heat Generation in a Horizontal Channel

This work presents numerical results of natural convection in a horizontal channel provided with heating blocks periodically mounted on its lower adiabatic surface. The upper surface of the channel is maintained cold at a constant temperature. The parameters of the study are the ratio of solid blocks to fluid thermal conductivities (0.1 ≤ k* = k _s /k _a ≤ 200), the Rayleigh number (10⁴ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁷), and the relative blocks height (1/8 ≤ B ≤ 1/2). Two models are considered in this study depending on whether the blocks are submitted to uniform heat generation (model 1), or maintained isothermal (model 2) at the average temperature calculated using model 1. The effect of the thermal conductivities ratio and the other controlling parameters on the validity of the isothermal model is examined. It is found that when multiple steady solutions are possible, some of the solutions obtained with the isothermal model may not reproduce the results of the model with blocks submitted to volumetric heat generation, even at very large conductivities ratio.     

Natural Convection Heat Transfer in an Enclosure Filled with an Ethylene Glycol—Copper Nanofluid Under Magnetic Fields

This article presents the results of a numerical study on natural convection in a square enclosure filled with ethylene glycol–copper nanofluid in the presence of magnetic fields. Two opposite horizontal walls of the enclosure are insulated and the two vertical walls are kept constant at different temperatures. A uniform horizontal magnetic field is externally imposed. The governing equations (mass, momentum, and energy) are formulated and solved numerically with a finite element using COMSOL Multiphysics. The effects of pertinent parameters such as Rayleigh number (10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁷), Hartmann number (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 120), and solid volume fraction (0 ≤ φ ≤ 0.06) on the flow and the heat transfer performance of the enclosure are examined when the Prandtl number is assumed to be Pr = 151.     

Visualization of Heat Transport during Natural Convection Within Porous Triangular Cavities via Heatline Approach

In this article, natural convection in a porous triangular cavity has been analyzed. Bejan's heatlines concept has been used for visualization of heat transfer. Penalty finite-element method with biquadratic elements is used to solve the nondimensional governing equations for the triangular cavity involving hot inclined walls and cold top wall. The numerical solutions are studied in terms of isotherms, streamlines, heatlines, and local and average Nusselt numbers for a wide range of parameters Da (10^?5–10^?3), Pr (0.015–1000), and Ra (Ra = 10³–5 × 10⁵). For low Darcy number (Da = 10^?5), the heat transfer occurs due to conduction as the heatlines are smooth and orthogonal to the isotherms. As the Rayleigh number increases, conduction dominant mode changes into convection dominant mode for Da = 10^?3, and the critical Rayleigh number corresponding to the on-set of convection is obtained. Distribution of heatlines illustrate that most of the heat transport for a low Darcy number (Da = 10^?5) occurs from the top region of hot inclined walls to the cold top wall, whereas heat transfer is more from the bottom region of hot inclined walls to the cold top wall for a high Darcy number (Da = 10^?3). Interesting features of streamlines and heatlines are discussed for lower and higher Prandtl numbers. Heat transfer analysis is obtained in terms of local and average Nusselt numbers (Nu _l , Nu _t ) and the local and average Nusselt numbers are found to be correlated with heatline patterns within the cavity.     

Coupled Natural Convection and Radiation in a Horizontal Rectangular Enclosure Discretely Heated from Below

A numerical study is carried out to investigate the interaction between natural convection and thermal radiation in a horizontal enclosure filled with air and heated discretely from below. The results are presented for a cavity having an aspect ratio A _r  = L′/H′ = 10, while the Rayleigh number and the emissivity of the walls are varied in the ranges 10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁶ and 0 ≤ ε ≤ 1, respectively. The results of the study, presented in terms of flow and temperature patterns, average convective, radiative and total Nusselt numbers, evaluated on the cold wall, show that the problem has multiple solutions. Each of these solutions is characterized by a specific flow structure, and its appearance and range of existence depend strongly on the parameters Ra and ε. The amount of heat evacuated through the cold surface is dependent on the type of solution.     

Natural Convection in a Square Enclosure with Two Horizontal Cylinders

This study investigates natural convection in a cooled square enclosure with two inner heated circular cylinders with the same diameter. The centers of two equidiameter cylinders are placed at those of the lower and upper half of the enclosure, respectively. The immersed boundary method (IBM) to model the inner circular cylinders based on the finite volume method is used to study a two-dimensional natural convection for different Rayleigh numbers varying in the range of 10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁵. The effect of the radius of inner circular cylinders in an enclosure on heat transfer and fluid flow at different Rayleigh numbers has been examined. As the Rayleigh number increases, the horizontal symmetry is broken and the asymmetry occurred from the smaller radius. As the radius decreases, the dependence of the convection on the Rayleigh number is considerable. The dependence of the Nusselt number on the radius and the Rayleigh number is presented.     

Unsteady Conjugate Natural Convection in a Vertical Cylinder Partially Filled with a Porous Medium

Transient natural convection in a vertical cylinder containing both a fluid layer overlying a horizontal porous layer saturated with the same fluid and heat-conducting solid shell of finite thickness in conditions of convective heat exchange with an environment has been studied numerically. The Beavers-Joseph empirical boundary condition is considered at the fluid-porous interface with the Darcy model for the porous layer and the Boussinesq approximation for the pure fluid. The governing equations formulated in dimensionless variables, such as the stream function, the vorticity, and the temperature have been solved by a finite difference method. Particular efforts have been focused on the effects of five types of influential factors, such as the Darcy number 10^?5 ≤ Da ≤ 10^?3, the porous layer height ratio 0 ≤ d/L ≤ 1, the solid shell thickness ratio 0.1 ≤ l/L ≤ 0.3, the thermal conductivity ratio 1 ≤ k_1,3 ≤ 20, and the dimensionless time 0 ≤ τ ≤ 1000 on the fluid flow and heat transfer. Comprehensive analysis of an effect of these key parameters on the Nusselt number at the bottom wall, on the average temperature in the cavity, and on the maximum absolute value of the stream function has been conducted.     

The Influence of Baffles on the Natural Convection in Trapezoidal Cavities

This article presents an investigation into natural convection in trapezoidal cavities. It examines a cavity whose floor and upper inclined walls are both adiabatic, while the vertical walls are isothermal. For these isothermal walls, we consider two thermal boundary conditions. Under the first condition, the short wall on the left side is heated as the tall one on the right side is cooled. The second condition is the reverse of the first—the short wall is cooled as the tall one is heated. Considering laminar conditions and a two-dimensional system, steady-state computations are carried out to assess the effects of one and two baffles, the baffle's height (H _b ), Rayleigh number, 10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁶, and three Prandtl number values. To demonstrate the various effects, the results from several designed case studies are shown in terms of isotherms, streamlines, and local and average Nusselt numbers in order. Predictions reveal that the second baffle decreases the cavity's fluid flow and heat transfer. As the height of the baffle rises, the heat transfer drops drastically. Also, two baffles produce more pronounced thermal stratification than only one.     

Entropy Generation Due to Natural Convection in a Partially Open Cavity with a Thin Heat Source Subjected to a Nanofluid

This article presents a numerical study of natural convection cooling of a heat source mounted inside the cavity, with special attention being paid to entropy generation. The right vertical wall is partially open and is subjected to copper–water nanofluid at a constant low temperature and pressure, while the other boundaries are assumed to be adiabatic. The governing equations have been solved using the finite volume approach, using SIMPLE algorithm on the collocated arrangement. The study has been carried out for a Rayleigh number in the range 10³ < Ra < 10⁶, and for solid volume fraction 0 <? <0.05. In order to investigate the effect of the heat source and open boundary location, six different configurations are considered. The effects of Rayleigh numbers, heat source and open boundary locations on the streamlines, isotherms, local entropy generation, Nusselt number, and total entropy generation are investigated. The results indicate that when open boundary is located up, the fluid flow augments and hence the heat transfer and Nusselt number increase and total entropy generation decreases.