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Research Paper | Mathematics | Kenya | Volume 2 Issue 10, October 2013

Enhancement of Natural Convection Heat Transfer in a Square Enclosure with Localized Heating from Below

Onyango. O. M | Sigey. J. K | Okelo. J. A | Okwoyo. J. M

Abstract: This work is focused on the numerical study of natural convection of heat transfer in a three dimensional square cavity. The two opposite vertical walls and the top wall have been considered cold constant temperature with source of heat fixed at the middle bottom surface while the other two vertical walls and the non-heated part of the bottom surface were considered insulated. The aim of the study is to examine the velocity flow and temperature flow. The momentum and energy equations were solved by the finite difference method. The differential equations were discretized using central difference method and forward difference method. The discretized equations with proper boundary conditions of numerical solutions were used. The solutions are presented at the Reynolds number 200 with Prandtl numbers of 0.71. The results are presented in terms of vector plots and contours to show the behavior of the fluid flow and temperature field. The result shows that temperature decreases as the fluid moves from the source of heat towards the cold walls.

Keywords: Natural convection, buoyancy, flow field, temperature field, boundary conditions

Edition: Volume 2 Issue 10, October 2013,

Pages: 82 - 87