Study of coupled natural convection in a two-dimensional square cavity with a partition with solid and porosity properties

Abstract

In this work, the influence of different distances of thin flat partitions from the partition located in the middle of a plexiglass region with different porosity properties on conjugate natural convection in a square cavity has investigated. Glycerin has used as the working fluid. The two-dimensional region has differentially heated from the vertical walls, while the horizontal walls have insulated. Unsteady Newtonian laminar flow has studied using a mathematical model of convection in a cavity with porosity and the Boussinesq approximation, and has solved by the finite volume method. The SIMPLE algorithm has applied to solve the relationship between velocity and pressure. Streamlines, isotherms, velocity profiles and local Nusselt number have studied. The data show that increasing the distance to the porous layer brings to a more uniform distribution of isotherms and a decrease in the intensity of the convective flow. Local Nusselt numbers on the walls decrease with increasing distance to the porous layer and porosity, which indicates a decrease in the heat transfer intensity. This is due to an increase in thermal conductivity in areas close to the porous layer. These results can be used in the design of temperature-controlled devices, heat-sinking structures, the aerospace industry to optimize thermal processes, etc.