Natural convection heat and moisture transfer with thermal radiation in a cavity partially filled with hygroscopic porous medium

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article deals with natural convection heat and moisture transfer with thermal radiation in a cavity partially filled with hygroscopic porous medium. The governing equations for the momentum and heat transfer in both free fluid and hygroscopic porous medium and moisture content transfer in hygroscopic porous medium were solved by the finite element method. The radiative heat transfer is calculated by making use of the radiosity of the surfaces that are assumed to be grey. Comparisons with experimental and numerical results in the literature have been carried out. Effects of thermal radiation and Rayleigh number on natural convection and heat transfer in both free fluid and porous medium and moisture content transfer in porous medium were analyzed. It was found that surface thermal radiation can significantly change the temperature and moisture content fields in the regions of free flow and porous medium. The mean temperature at the interface decreases, the temperature and moisture content gradients are created on the upper two corners of the porous medium region, and the moisture content in the porous medium decreases in the porous medium as Ra increases.