Effects of chemical reaction and thermal radiation on unsteady double diffusive convection

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this numerical paper is to investigate the simulation of an unsteady double diffusive natural convection in square enclosure filled with a porous medium with various boundary conditions in the presence of thermal radiation and chemical reaction effects.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the governing dimensionless equations were written using the Brinkman Forchheimer extended Darcy model. They are numerically solved by using finite difference method by applying adiabatic boundary condition in top surface. The bottom surface is maintained at uniform temperature and concentration and left and right vertical walls are cooled.

Findings

Results are presented by streamlines, isotherms, temperature and concentration contours profiles as well as the local Nusselt number and Sherwood numbers for different values of the governing parameters such as Darcy number, buoyancy ratio, Rayleigh number, thermal radiation parameter and chemical reaction parameter. It is found that that both of the local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers increase as the Rayleigh number, buoyancy ratio and Darcy number increase. Moreover, increasing the thermal radiation effects leads to a pronounced increase in the local Nusselt number, while the opposite behavior is displayed by the local Sherwood number. Furthermore, the local Sherwood number increases and the local Nusselt number decrease when the chemical reaction parameter increase.

Originality/value

The originality of this study is the square cavity with various boundary conditions filled with a porous medium with thermal radiation and chemical reaction effects.

Citation

Rashad, A.M., Elsayed Ahmed, S. and Ahmed Mansour, M. (2014), "Effects of chemical reaction and thermal radiation on unsteady double diffusive convection", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 24 No. 5, pp. 1124-1140. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-04-2012-0095