NATURAL CONVECTION IN A PARTITIONED TRAPEZOIDAL CAVITY HEATED FROM THE SIDE

Abstract

Numerical results are reported for natural-convection heat transfer in partially divided trapezoidal cavities representing industrial buildings. Two thermal boundary conditions are considered. In the first, the left short vertical wall is heated while the right long vertical wall is cooled (buoyancy-assisting mode along the upper inclined surface of the cavity). In the second, the right long vertical wall is heated while the left short vertical wall is cooled (buoyancy-opposing mode along the upper inclined surface of the cavity). The effects of Rayleigh number, Prandtl number, baffle height, and baffle location on the heat transfer are investigated. Results are displayed in terms of streamlines, isotherms, and local and average Nusselt number values. For both boundary conditions, predictions reveal a decrease in heat transfer in the presence of baffles, with its rate generally increasing with increasing baffle height and Pr. For a given baffle height, greater decrease in heat transfer is generally obtained with baffles located close to the short vertical wall.