Enhancing Natural Convection Heat Transfer Through Dome-Shaped Nanofluid Enclosures: Two-Phase Simulation Analysis

Abstract

This study utilizes numerical analysis to investigate laminar flow and natural convective heat transfer of nanofluids (NFs) within dome-shaped enclosures (DSEs). The horizontal walls of the enclosure are adiabatic, while the vertical walls on the right and left are maintained at isothermal conditions with low and high temperatures, respectively. The study focuses on examining the impact of DSEs on flow patterns and natural convection (N.C.) under varying parameters, including Rayleigh numbers (Ra), Lewis numbers (Le), enclosure inclination angles, dome angles, and buoyancy ratio number (Nr). The Prandtl number (Pr) and nanoparticle volume fraction are consistently maintained at 10 and 0.05, respectively. The governing equations have been resolved by applying the Eulerian–Eulerian two-phase model. The study reveals that the DSE significantly influences flow dynamics, leading to smoother circulation patterns that intensify convection currents. This movement of hot fluid toward cooler regions within the enclosure enhances natural convective heat transfer. Across all enclosure inclination angles, the average Nusselt number (Nu) increases with higher Ra, while the Le remains constant at 4. Significantly, due to its robust convective currents, the average Nu in the DSE with a 45° dome angle surpasses those of corresponding square and rectangular enclosures.