Investigation of compressible laminar natural-convection for a staggered and symmetric arrangement of discrete heat sources in an open-ended vertical channel

Abstract

This article presents a numerical investigation of the heat transfer behavior between a symmetric and staggered arrangement of three discrete heat sources in an open-ended vertical channel under non-uniform heating and non-Boussinesq conditions over a range of modified Rayleigh number $1.88\times {10}^3$ to $4.57\times {10}^5.$ The staggered arrangement shows an improvement $(7–10\mathrm{\%})$ and a decrease ($<5\mathrm{\%}$) of Nusselt number on the left and right wall respectively but overall cooling enhancement over the symmetric arrangement, with linearly increasing heat flux condition showing maximum enhancement. Correlations of the heat transfer and flow rate with modified Rayleigh number for the staggered arrangement are presented.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support received from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan in the form of scholarship (Scholarship no. 91606000758). A part of this research was supported by MEXT as “Priority Issue on post-K computer” (Development of Innovative Design and Production Processes that would lead the way for the manufacturing industry in near future.