LAMINAR NATURAL CONVECTION HEAT TRANSFER IN AN ECCENTRIC RHOMBIC ANNULUS

Abstract

The effect of vertical eccentricity on natural convection in a rhombic annulus is studied numerically for enclosure gap values (E_R) of 0.5 and 0.75, eccentricity (ϵ) values from -0.25 lo 0.25, and Rayteigh numbers (Ra) from I0⁴ to 10⁸ Negative values of t (inner rhombus displaced downward) lead to an increase in heat transfer. At low Ra there is a critical positive e for which the flow strength is a maximum. At high Ra, increasing positive e results in a decrease in the flow strength and heat transfer. For any ϵ > 0 there is a critical Ra, beyond which there is a decrease in the total heat transfer. This critical Ra increases with decreasing E_R values.

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Notes on contributors

S. Acharya

Address correspondence to S. Acharya, Mechanical Engineering Department, Louisiana State University, 2513B CEBA, Baton Rouge, LA70803, USA