Experimental investigation of natural convection heat transfer in tiled partially open cavities

Abstract

An experimental investigation was carried out to determine the heat transfer coefficient from a rectangular tilted cavity to the ambient due to the buoyancy driven flow in the cavity. The cavity is partially open from one side. All the walls ofthe cavity are adiabatic except the wall facing the cavity opening which is heated at a constant heat flux. Three different geometrical arrangements for the opening were investigated: (I) high wall slit, (2) low wall slit and (3) uniform wall slots. Each opening arrangement was studied at opening ratios of 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75. The average heat transfer coefficient between the cavity and the sUrrounding air was estimated for each geometrical arrangement for various tilt angles of the cavity, measured from the vertical direction, ranging from -90 deg to +90 deg with increments of 15 deg. The results are presented in tenns of the average Nusselt number for different values of the above experimental parameters. Conclusions are derived for the effect of changing the tilt angle or the opening ratio of the cavity on the average heat transfer coefficient between the cavity and the ambient air.