Simulation of Mixed Convection in Eccentric Annulus: A Combined Lattice Boltzmann and Smoothed Profile Approach

ABSTRACT

Lattice Boltzmann Method is used to simulate mixed convection between two horizontal cylinders. This geometry is created using Smoothed Profile Method which produces proper fluid-solid interaction force as well as heat exchange. A two dimensional double distribution function lattice Boltzmann method is employed to simulate fluid flow and heat transfer simultaneously. In order to implement the velocity and temperature boundary conditions, the force term and heat source/sink are included in the evolution equations. While fixed Eulerian lattice nodes are employed, while different eccentricities are considered for inner cylinder. In order to simulate mixed convection, the radius ratio is set to be 2.5. Furthermore, the effect of Richardson number by choosing 0.01, 1, 100 and Prandtl number of 0.716 for air and 6.2 for water are investigated. Isotherms, streamlines and mean Nusselt numbers are given for each case. The results are in good agreement with previous related publications.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Samira Jafari

Samira Jafari is a student at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman (SBUK), Kerman, Iran. She received her B.Sc. degree from the Amirkabir University of Technology, and her M.Sc. degree from the SBUK. Her current interest is the simulation of heat transfer and fluid flow using Lattice Boltzmann method.

Saeed Jafari

Saeed Jafari is an Associate Professor of mechanical engineering at the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman (SBUK), Kerman, Iran. He received his M.Sc. degree from the Isfahan University of Technology, and his Ph.D. degree from the SBUK. He has been teaching at the SBUK since 2010. His research contributions are in the field of transport phenomena in porous media. He is currently working on simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer in porous media using Lattice Boltzmann method.

Mohammad Rahnama

Mohammad Rahnama is a Professor at mechanical engineering department of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. He graduated from Shiraz university with a Ph.D. degree in 1996. While his main research area has been computational fluid dynamics since his graduation, he has focused on Lattice Boltzmann method during last few years. Simulation of particulate flow using Lattice Boltzmann method has been his main interest in recent years.