Effect of thermophoresis particle deposition on mixed convection from vertical surfaces embedded in saturated porous medium

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to formulate and analyze thermophoresis effects on mixed convection heat and mass transfer from vertical surfaces embedded in a saturated porous media with variable wall temperature and concentration.

Design/methodology/approach

The governing partial differential equations (continuity, momentum, energy, and mass transfer) are written for the vertical surface with variable temperature and mass concentration. Then they are transformed using a set of non‐similarity parameters into dimensionless form and solved using Keller‐box method.

Findings

Many results are obtained and a representative set is displaced graphically to illustrate the influence of the various physical parameters. It is found that the increasing of thermophoresis constant or temperature differences enhances heat transfer rates from vertical surfaces and increases wall thermophoresis velocities; this is due to favorable temperature gradients or buoyancy forces. It is also found that the effect of thermophoresis phenomena is more pronounced near pure natural convection heat transfer limit, because this phenomenon is directly temperature gradient‐ or buoyancy forces‐dependent.

Research limitations/implications

The predicted results are restricted only to porous media with small pores due to the adoption of Darcy law as a force balance.

Originality/value

The paper explains the different effect of thermophoresis on forced, natural and mixed convection heat, and mass transfer problems. It is one of the first works that formulates and describes this phenomenon in a porous media. The results of this research are important for scientific researches and design engineers.

Citation

Duwairi, H.M. and Damseh, R.A. (2008), "Effect of thermophoresis particle deposition on mixed convection from vertical surfaces embedded in saturated porous medium", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 202-216. https://doi.org/10.1108/09615530810846347