Numerical study on convective flow in a three-dimensional enclosure with hot solid body and discrete cooling

Abstract

The aim of the present numerical study is to analyze the effect of cooler location and aspect ratio and position of the hot solid body inside the enclosure on three-dimensional natural convection flow in a cubical enclosure. The cooler and heater positions and aspect ratio of the heater in a cavity are examined under different combinations of partially cooling vertical sidewalls and, hot solid body in the cubical cavity. That is, (i) different cooler locations with a fixed size of the hot solid body, and, (ii) centrally located hot solid body with different aspect ratio. The three-dimensional convective flow and thermal arrangements in the enclosure are analyzed using the distribution of streamlines, isosurfaces, and Nusselt number. It is found that the cooler location and aspect ratio of hot solid body play a key role on convective cooling and energy transport inside the enclosure. The unit aspect ratio of hot solid body provides higher energy transport inside the enclosure for all cooler positions.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, under Grant No. KEP-MSc-17-130-38. The authors, therefore, acknowledge with thanks DSR technical and financial support.