Heat Convection in a Channel-Opened Cavity with Two Heated Sources and Baffle

Farhan Lafta Rashid, Asseel M. Rasheed Al-Gaheeshi, Hayder I. Mohammed and Arman Ameen ()
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Farhan Lafta Rashid: Petroleum Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Kerbala, Karbala 56001, Iraq
Asseel M. Rasheed Al-Gaheeshi: Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Kerbala, Karbala 56001, Iraq
Hayder I. Mohammed: Department of Cooling and Air Conditioning Engineering, Imam Ja’afar Al-Sadiq University, Baghdad 10053, Iraq
Arman Ameen: Department of Building Engineering, Energy Systems and Sustainability Science, University of Gävle, 801 76 Gävle, Sweden

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-32

Abstract: This study employs COMSOL software v 5.6 to investigate a novel approach to heat transfer via mixed convection in an open hollow structure with an unheated 90° baffle elbow. Two 20 W heat sources are strategically positioned on the cavity’s bottom and right-angled wall for this research. Notably, the orientation of the baffle perpendicular to the airflow is used to direct external, unrestricted flow into the square cavity. The research investigates a range of air velocities (0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m/s) and the intricate interaction between input air velocity, dual heated sources, and the presence of a right-angle baffle on critical thermodynamic variables, such as temperature distribution, isotherms, pressure variation, velocity profile, air density, and both local and mean Nusselt numbers. Validation of the applicable computational method is achieved by comparing it to two previous studies. Significant findings from numerical simulations indicate that the highest velocity profile is in the centre of the channel (2.3–2.68 m/s at an inflow velocity of 1.5 m/s), while the lowest profile is observed along the channel wall, with a notable disruption near the inlet caused by increased shear forces. The cavity neck temperature ranges from 380 to 640 K, with inflow air velocities varying from 0.1 to 1.5 m/s (Re is 812 to 12,182), respectively. In addition, the pressure fluctuates at the channel-cavity junction, decreasing steadily along the channel length and reaching a maximum at the intake, where the cavity neck pressure varies from 0.01 to 2.5 Pa with inflow air velocities changing from 0.1 to 1.5 m/s, respectively. The mean Nusselt number exhibits an upward trend as air velocity upon entry increases. The mean Nusselt number reaches up to 1500 when the entry air velocity reaches 1.5 m/s. Due to recirculation patterns, the presence of the 90° unheated baffle produces a remarkable cooling effect. The study establishes a direct correlation between input air velocity and internal temperature distribution, indicating that as air velocity increases, heat dissipation improves. This research advances our understanding of convective heat transfer phenomena in complex geometries and provides insights for optimising thermal management strategies for a variety of engineering applications.

Keywords: forced convection; combined convection; heat source; baffle; Nusselt number; open cavity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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