Computational Analysis of Natural Convection Heat Transfer on a Vertical Plate With Discrete Heat Sources
Ravi Babu.S1, Sambasiva Rao.G2, Ramesh Babu.P3
1Ravi Babu. S*, Mechanical Engg department, GMR Institute of Technology, Rajam, India.
2Sambasiva Rao.G, Mechanical department, Sir C.R.R College of Engineering, Eluru, India.
3Ramesh Babu.P, Mechanical department, Sasi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Tadepalligudem, India.
Manuscript received on January 23, 2020. | Revised Manuscript received on February 05, 2020. | Manuscript published on February 30, 2020. | PP: 3726-3742 | Volume-9 Issue-3, February 2020. | Retrieval Number: C6337029320/2020©BEIESP | DOI: 10.35940/ijeat.C6337.029320
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: In the present study, buoyancy driven free convection flow along the vertical plate with discrete heat sources is analyzed. To illustrate free convection heat transfer along a vertical plate with finite discrete heat sources a 2-D steady-state model is considered. The thermos-physical properties of fluid are assumed constant except for the buoyancy terms, which are computed using the Boussinesq approximation of Navier-stokes equation. The two-dimensional Navier-stokes equations are solved using SIMPLER algorithm. The dimensionless equations are descretised and solved by using central difference finite difference approach. The development of the air flow caused by buoyancy induced free convective heat transfer has been studied through the progression of velocity and temperature fields. The results are obtained for various Grashof numbers Gr=103 , 104 and 5x 104 , and the influence of Grashof number on flow field has been studied. Average Nusselt number at the plate is also obtained. The effect of variation of Prandtl number at a given Grashof number is also studied.
Keywords: Heat transfer, Natural convection, Nusselt number, Vertical plate.