Role of heatlines on thermal management during Rayleigh-Bénard heating within enclosures with concave/convex horizontal walls
International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow
ISSN: 0961-5539
Article publication date: 4 September 2017
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to carry out the analysis of Rayleigh-Bénard convection within enclosures with curved isothermal walls, with the special implication on the heat flow visualization via the heatline approach.
Design/methodology/approach
The Galerkin finite element method has been used to obtain the numerical solutions in terms of the streamlines (ψ ), heatlines (Π), isotherms (θ), local and average Nusselt number (
Findings
The presence of the larger fluid velocity within the curved cavities resulted in the larger heat transfer rates and thermal mixing compared to the square cavity. Case 3 (high concavity) exhibits the largest
Practical implications
The results may be useful for the material processing applications.
Originality/value
The study of Rayleigh-Bénard convection in cavities with the curved isothermal walls is not carried out till date. The heatline approach is used for the heat flow visualization during Rayleigh-Benard convection within the curved walled enclosures for the first time. Also, the existence of the enhanced fluid and heat circulation cells within the curved walled cavities during Rayleigh-Benard heating is illustrated for the first time.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for critical comments and suggestions, which improved the quality of the manuscript.
Citation
Biswal, P. and Basak, T. (2017), "Role of heatlines on thermal management during Rayleigh-Bénard heating within enclosures with concave/convex horizontal walls", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 27 No. 9, pp. 2070-2104. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-04-2016-0143
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited