Numerical Study on Mixed Convection Heat Transfer in Inclined Triangular Cavities

Abstract

This article presents a parametric study on flow behavior and heat transfer in an inclined triangular cavity subjected to a moving lid and temperature differential. The systematic study considers three physical parameters (inclination angle, Reynolds number, and Grashof number) and explores the influence of these parameters on flow pattern and heat transfer characteristics. A series of computations were performed for the inclination angle (θ) ranging from 0° to 360° (in increments of 45°), Reynolds number (Re) from 100 to 1,500, and Grashof number (Gr) from 10⁵ to 10⁷. The numerical results show that there are three kinds of flow regime in a triangular cavity inclined from 0° to 360°: buoyancy-dominant, inertia-dominant, and intermediate transition (mixed convection flow). It is interesting that the case with Re = 100, Gr = 10⁷, and θ = 0° exhibits five circulation cells and induces excellent thermal performance, corresponding to wavy profiles in local Nusselt number and local friction factor. The study also reveals that the good thermal performance within a local region can generate higher friction force on the neighboring boundary and this friction force may reduce the strength of the vortex.

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