A numerical study of the natural convection flow in an asymmetrically heated vertical channel : effect of heat source position

Abstract

This paper deals with a numerical study of the natural convection flow in an asymmetrically heated vertical plane channel at Ra*=4.5.106. The objective of this study is then to highlight the influence of the heat source position at the heated wall on the behavior of both the return flow and the surface heat transfer. In order to neglect radiation, only the convective aspects related to natural convection are studied by carrying out simulations in water. Numerical simulations were performed for two-dimensional, laminar and unsteady flow using the finite volume approach. Based on the study of several heating distributions at wall, the influence of the incident thermal source location and of the dissipated power on the downward return flow is highlighted and on the heat transfer at wall as well.