Abstract:
A numerical simulation of two-dimensional laminar steady-state natural convection in a
rectangular open cavity has been investigated. An adiabatic circular cylinder is placed at the
center of the cavity and the opposite wall to the aperture is heated by a constant heal flux. 'fhe
top and bOllom wall> are kept at the constant temperature, The fluid is concerned wilh Prnndtl
numbers 0.72, 1.0 and 7.0. The properties of the fluid were assumed to be constant"] he physical
problems are rcprcscmcd mathematically by different ,els of goveming equations along with the
corresponding boundary conditions. In this the,i" a finite element method for sleady-sMe
il1C<Jmpres<iblenatural convection tlows has been developed. The non-dimensional governing
equatio", are discreti7ed by using Ga1crkin weighted residual method of finite element
formulatiol1. The obtained results are presented in terms of streamline~ and isotherm" heat
transfer characteristics Nusseit numbers for Orashof numbers from 10' to 10' and for an
inclination angles of the cavity ranges for OO,15°,30"al1d45". The obtained results arc also
presented" ith the variation of diftcrcnt diameter ratio, of the cylil1der.The re,uits ,how that tile
Nusselt numbers increase with the increasing of Grashof numbers. Also the Nusselt number
chilllgessubstantially with the inclination angle of the ca, ity while better thelmal performilllce is
also scnsilivc to the boundary condition of the heated wall. Mesh ret,nement led to solutions for
Omshofnumber, from 10' to 10".
