Abstract
Fluid-solid interaction phenomenon study is necessary for the analysis of several engineering systems such as structures and vessels that interact with wind and blood flow, respectively. In this study, the interactions between buoyancy-driven airflow and elastic baffle(s) inside a square enclosure were modeled numerically. While the two sidewalls of the enclosure were insulated, the lower and upper walls were kept at hot and cold temperatures, respectively. The heat transfer rate through the hot wall by calculating the Nusselt number and von Mises stress at the baffles’ root for various configurations of baffle(s) was considered. The domain was modeled in ANSYS Workbench, and the k-ε model was employed to solve the turbulent convective flow (Ra > 107). A two-way algorithm along with the finite element method was employed to simultaneously solve the equations governing the fluid flow and the solid phase. The dynamic mesh method was employed to account for the change in the location of the fluid domain at a new time step. The results show the elastic baffle, in comparison to solid baffle, intensifies the heat transfer rate by 15%. The results also indicate that the Nusselt number in the single-baffle case is higher than in double-baffle cases. The fact that the amount of von Mises is a function of the baffles’ configuration is another point obtained from the results. It was found that the von Mises stress at the baffles’ root represents more unsteady fluctuations in the asymmetric case, while it approaches a constant value in the symmetric case.
Highlights
Natural convection derived by buoyancy forces is considered a fundamental classic problem in heat transfer and fluid dynamics inside enclosures with unequal wall temperatures [1]
The Nusselt number follows a higher value for the elastic baffle compared to the rigid baffle. is effect is a result of the fluid motion due to baffle fluctuations
E results show that the Nusselt number reaches a constant value that indicates a steady-state condition after the time of 2 s
Summary
Natural convection derived by buoyancy forces is considered a fundamental classic problem in heat transfer and fluid dynamics inside enclosures with unequal wall temperatures [1]. It is observed in industrial applications such as solar collectors and cooling systems mounted on electronic equipment [2]. A review of recent studies shows that no previous research has considered the interaction effects of two elastic baffle(s) on natural convective heat transfer and the flow field inside an enclosure. A comparison of rigid and elastic baffles, an analysis of dominant heat transfer mechanisms, a comparison between the single- and doublebaffle cases, and an analysis of variations in the dimensions of baffle(s) and location are carried out
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