Thermosolutal Convection During Melting in a Porous Medium Saturated with Aqueous Solution

Abstract

The thermosolutal convection in a porous medium saturated with an aqueous solution near the temperature of the density maximum is studied. The fixed temperatures applied to vertical walls include the density maximum. The formulation of the problem is based on the Darcy-Brinkman model and the density variation is governed by a nonlinear approximation. The equations are solved by a finite-volume method. The numerical model is validated through experimental results. We show that the nonlinear variation of the density influences strongly the flow structure and the heat transfer. The structures of this flow show that the density maximum generates a complex flow structure of two contrarotating cells of unequal importance.

For financial support we gratefully acknowledge the Tunisian Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology and the Franco-Tunisian Cooperation through project CMCU 04G1312.