Buoyancy Induced Convection From Biheaters in a Cavity: A Numerical Study

Abstract

A computational study of natural convection from biheaters of finite thickness and finite conductivity placed on a finite thickness and a finite conductive bottom plate of a cavity is performed under constant heat input condition. Cavity is cooled by the sidewalls, while the top and backside of the bottom plate are insulated. Streamline, isotherms, and local heat flux distribution of the sidewalls are discussed. Base Grashof number is chosen as 2.5 × 106. Biheater maintains a nondimensional distance of 0.4 between them. The left heater is placed at a nondimensional distance of 0.2 from the left wall. Heater length ratio is varied from 0.4 to 1.7, while heater strength ratio is varied from 0.25 to 7.0. Optimum operating temperature condition is found from the analysis.