NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF NATURAL CONVECTION WITH HEATED TUBES IN TUNNEL GREENHOUSE

Abstract

In this research, a numerical study was carried out on heat transfer by natural convection, in a closed tunnel greenhouse, in the range of the Rayleigh number (103≤Ra≤106). Were considered in the study, the number of heating tubes used (1≤Nt≤7), which were equidistant inside the greenhouse volume, when the bottom at an average temperature and cold Roof. The governing equations written in a bicylindrical coordinates were discretized using the finite volume method and vorticity-stream function formulation; the resulting algebraic equations were solved using successive over relaxation method (S.O.R). First, the effect of the Rayleigh number on heat transfer was examined for a fixed number of tubes as reference (Nt = 3) and the number of tubes was varied to investigate the influence on heat transfer in the greenhouse. Finally, the results obtained were summarized in the form of isotherms and streamlines, and for the average Nusselt number profile; in addition to the horizontal and vertical velocities and temperatures. However, in the reference case, for low Rayleigh numbers, the heat transfer is dominated by pure conduction.With the increase of the Rayleigh number and the number of tubes Nt, the natural convection becomes more dominant and the heat transfer increases, and in general the heat transfer increase with the increasing number of tubes.