Simulation Studies on Buoyancy-Aided Conjugate Mixed Convection With Radiation From a Vertical Plate With Multiple Nonidentical Heat Sources

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper documents certain salient results of the simulation studies performed on conjugate mixed convection with surface radiation from a vertical electronic board equipped with multiple nonidentical flush-mounted discrete heat sources. Air that is assumed to be radiatively transparent with constant thermophysical properties subjected to the Boussinesq approximation is considered to be the cooling agent. The governing fluid flow and heat transfer equations without the boundary-layer approximations are initially transformed into vorticity-stream function form and are later appropriately normalized. The resulting equations, along with pertinent boundary conditions, are subsequently solved using a finite-volume-based finite-difference method coupled with Gauss–Seidel iterative technique. An extended computational domain has been used to capture the fluid flow and heat transfer adequately employing optimum combination of finer and coarser grids. A computer code is specifically written for the job. Effects of modified Richardson number, surface emissivity, and thermal conductivity on local temperature distribution, peak board temperature, and contributions of mixed convection and radiation in heat dissipation have been clearly elucidated. Two correlations that help in calculation of maximum and average nondimensional plate temperatures have also been developed.