Thermal partition of two asymmetric discrete heat sources by cold air curtain

A partition solution implemented by a cold air curtain for two asymmetric discrete heat sources in a two-dimensional rectangular enclosure was numerically studied. Main attentions were focused on the effects of Reynolds number, Grashof number, separation distance between heat sources, and buoyancy ratio. It is found that the airflow and heat transfer are not only determined by governing parameters, but also affected by boundary conditions. It is also found that nearly symmetry of flow structure corresponds to nearly thermal partition, and the symmetry can be enhanced when Reynolds number, separation distance and buoyancy ratio increase. In addition, it is observed that there is a minimum Reynolds number for obtaining nearly thermal partition, which increases when Grashof number increases. Foundation item: Project (50408019) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China