Effect of air layer location and depth on redistribution of convective heat transfer induced by energy source in a sandwiched porous-air-porous enclosure free from temperature difference at external boundaries

Abstract

The study deals with nonlinear convection in a three-layered porous-air-porous enclosure with zero temperature difference at the external impermeable thermally conductive boundaries. The upper and lower porous matrices are internally heated with a uniform energy source. To describe redistribution of heat energy between the top and bottom surfaces of the enclosure, we introduce a relative heat transfer coefficient qr that has the conduction and convection parts. The former part tends to unity in the fully filled porous domain. The symmetry of heat transfer from the inner area towards the outer surfaces breaks down if one adds an intermediate air layer with low thermal conductivity. Two sandwiched systems which have equal depth ratio d but distinct air layer location are considered. In system 1, the air layer is located in the upper unstably stratified half of the enclosure. In system 2, this layer is in the lower stably stratified half. The total value of qr always increases due to penetrative convection. At d = 0.1, local convection in system 1 is easily initiated in contrast to the hard-to-generate large-scale convection in system 2 due to a strong destabilization. The latter most effectively enhances heat transport though the top surface with increasing the supercriticality.