Darcy mixed convection in a fluid saturated square porous enclosure under multiple suction effect

Abstract

PurposeIt is well known that the mixed convection process is the combined effect of the presence of both the forced and the free convection processes. In several applications such as environmental chambers, IC engines, etc. the forced convection is brought in by multiple suction/injection (S/I) effect. Study of mixed convection in a vertical square fluid saturated porous cavity with multiple S/I effect greatly contributes to such an understanding. So far, not much research work has reported in this direction. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate such a mixed convection process in a fluid saturated vertical porous square cavity.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors numerically solved the couple partial differential equations governing the mixed convection process in a fluid saturated vertical square porous cavity by finite element method. The study is parametric in nature wherein the authors cover a large range of values for different parameters arising the mathematical model governing the problem under consideration.FindingsThe influence of multiple S/I effects on mixed convection is analyzed for a wide range of controlling parameters such as S/I flow velocities (a), S/I window size (D/H) and Rayleigh number (Ra). Both the flow and temperature fields are highly sensitive to magnitude of S/I velocity, S/I window slit size and “Ra”. While heat fluxes along the isothermal left vertical wall decrease with increasing S/I velocities they are formed to increase with increasing “(D/H)” and “Ra”. Nusselt numbers increase with increasing “Ra” and increasing size of S/I window slit size. Multi‐cellular circulation pattern and thermal boundary layers are seen to manifest in flow and temperature fields, respectively.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on 2D model, but the model is generic in nature; also it is fully numerical in nature. Due to lack of apt literature no experimental support is provided. The mathematical model used in the study is based on certain assumptions such as isotropic porous medium, fluid is viscous in nature and follows Newtonian laws and the porous structure is saturated with fluid, etc. Regarding future work, 3D modelling and simulation is in progress and attempts are also being made to collaborate with experimental groups on the problem under investigation.Practical implicationsThe results from the work are relevant to the context of heat and fluid flow studies in IC engines, influence of mixed convection process on bacterial growth process in environmental chambers and cooling of electronic devices, etc.Originality/valueThe paper describes a mathematical model, especially the boundary treatment, for describing the influence of multiple S/I effects on mixed convection flow in a vertical square enclosure filled with a Darcian fluid saturated homogeneous porous medium. To understand the physics behind the mixed convection process in the proposed configuration, extensive numerical simulations have been carried out for the first time for different values of the important governing parameters arising from the model.