Heat Transfer Control of Rayleigh-Benard Natural Convection of Air by Kelvin Force

Abstract

Two-dimensional numerical computations are carried out to clarify the effect of Kelvin force on the Rayleigh-Benard natural convection of air in an enclosure under a magnetic field gradient. The computed results suggest that the Kelvin force could be utilized to control the heat transfer rate and the flow of the Rayleigh-Benard natural convection of air having a paramagnetic property. The transient characteristics of magnetothermal convection induced by the Kelvin force are also examined. Various phenomena caused by the Kelvin force are explained by considering the temperature dependence of the air's mass magnetic susceptibility according to Curie's law.

Hiroyuki Ozoe was formerly at the Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.