Three-dimensional double diffusive natural convection across a cubical enclosure partially filled by vertical porous layer

Abstract

This paper reports a numerical study with two and three-dimensional flows, in an enclosure domain partially filled with a vertical porous media layer saturated by a mixture of air with another gaseous component, the Prandtl number Pr is kept at 0.7. The domain right and left vertical walls are considered at uniform different temperature and concentration, the other walls are adiabatic and impermeable. The results of two-and three-dimensional models were compared. The influence of the main parameters of double diffusive convection is investigated, namely the buoyancy ratio, (−0.1 ≤ N ≤ −4) and Lewis number (0.1 ≤ Le ≤ 10) on the flow structure and heat and mass transfer rate are depicted. The temperature and concentration effect (on density) could be opposing (N < 0). By The resulting flow is consequence of buoyancy forces (density) field affected by the relative conductivity and the porous media permeability. The complex obtained flow structure and corresponding heat and mass transfer (velocity, temperature profiles) are discussed at steady state. The numerical results are reported and analyzed in terms of stream trace, streamlines, isotherms, isoconcentrations lines and averaged Nusselt and Sherwood numbers.