Flow, Thermal, Energy Transfer, and Entropy Generation Characteristics Inside Wavy Enclosures Filled With Microstructures

Abstract

Flow, thermal, energy, and irreversibility characteristics inside wavy enclosures packed with microstructures are reported in this paper. It is assumed that the entire enclosure has sufficient and interconnected void spaces; those allow fluid movement inside the cavity. The Darcy momentum equation is selected for momentum transfer modeling by considering a relatively small pore Reynolds number (Rep). Modeled equations are solved numerically using the finite volume method. Streamlines, isothermal lines, energy streamlines, average Nusselt number, and average entropy generation number are calculated and displayed in order to show their dependency on and variation with Rayleigh number (Ra), surface waviness (λ), and aspect ratio (AR) of the enclosure. Depending on the wall waviness pattern, the enclosure is divided into three modes (phase-plus, phase-zero, and phase-minus modes). However, for the current calculation, wall waviness is kept symmetric with respect to the vertical and horizontal centerlines of the enclosure.