CFD LAB PROJECT REPORT

On

Natural convection in a square enclosure

with partial heating

Submitted For

Computational Fluid Dynamics (MEP435) W22

Submitted by

BT19MEC011 Anchalwar Atharva Shailesh

Problem Statement:
Consider a natural convection in a square enclosure, which is filled with air, as shown in figure.
The left wall is partially heated while right wall is partially cooled. The top and bottom walls are
adiabatic. The unheated regions of left and right walls are also insulated.

Figure 1: Physical System

Solve the above problem. Results should contain the following:

1) Scaled residual.
2) Stream function contour.
3) x-velocity contour.
4) y-velocity contour.
5) Temperature contour.
6) Variation of x-velocity along mid-width.
7) Variation of y-velocity along mid-height.
8) Average Nusselt number along heated wall.
Physical System:
We have a square enclosure of side length = 0.1 m where the left and right walls are partially hot
and cold respectively. The left wall over the top half-length has a temperature of 310 K and the
right wall over the bottom half-length has a temperature of 300 K. The rest of the side walls and
the top and bottom walls are adiabatic in nature.

Grid:
Grid Size is 101 x 101. Meshing has been done using the Quadrilaterals Method. Biasing Factor
of 5.0 has been used to obtain finer mesh closer to the walls. The Mesh is Mapped and is of Hard
Quality.

Figure 2: Grid (101 * 101)

Mathematical Modeling:

Assumptions:

 The flow is assumed to be 2-D, Steady, Laminar, and Incompressible in nature

 There is no source of heat generation in the body and there is no transfer of energy
 Acceleration due to gravity has been taken as 9.81 m/s 2
 Boussinesq Approximation for Air has been considered for convection

Boundary Conditions:

 Hot Wall Temperature Variation: TH = 310 K

 Cold Wall Temperature: TC = 300 K
 Density of air taken as 1.225 kg/m3 under Boussinesq Approximation
 Coefficient of Thermal Expansion for Air taken as 0.00333
 Top and Bottom Walls and Bottom half of left and Top half of right walls are adiabatic

Governing Equations:
Continuity Equation for 2-D Flow:

𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣
+ =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦

x-Momentum Equation:

𝜌𝐷𝑢 𝜕𝑝 𝜕 𝑢 𝜕 𝑢
=− + 𝜇[ + ]
𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦

y-Momentum Equation:

𝜌𝐷𝑣 𝜕𝑝 𝜕 𝑣 𝜕 𝑣
=− + 𝜇[ + ]
𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
Results:

1.

Figure 3: Scaled Residuals

2.

Figure 4: Stream Function Contour

3.

Figure 5: x-Velocity Contour

4.

Figure 6: y-Velocity Contour

5.

Figure 7: Temperature Contour

6.

Figure 8: x-Velocity along Mid-width

7.

Figure 9: y-Velocity along mid-height

8.

Figure 10: Nusselt Number along heated portion of wall

Here average Nusselt Number is found to be 15.

Discussion:

 The stream function shows that air has higher velocity closer to the walls as expected and
also has a greater stream along the mid-height thanks to the temperature imbalance in the
side walls being only partially heated
 The x-velocity observes a pattern with being highest at the top then again increasing after
decreasing next to the heated portion and is least at the bottom
 The y-velocity shows uniformity for the enclosure except for along the heated and cooled
walls with respectively proportionate velocities
 The top half of the enclosure is at a higher temperature and a small sliver of average
temperature extends along the mid-height. The bottom half is cold in comparison.
 The x-velocity along the mid-width is as a wave and has peaks and troughs
 The y-velocity peaks at the left wall and troughs at the right wall.
 The Nusselt number peaks and suddenly changes at the left wall at 0.05 m height and then
slowly decreases to zero towards the end. The average Nusselt number for this portion can
be considered to be 15 or 30 depending on whether we are only considering the heated
portion of the entirety of the left wall.

Conclusion:
All results have been found and calculated and the contours and plots have been obtained.