Heat transfer by forced and free convection in a horizontal channel with differentially heated ends

The effect of net longitudinal flow on natural convection in a horizontal cavity with different end temperatures is discussed. The flow is studied using an asymptotic expansion in the aspect ratio A « 1, the Grashof, Prandtl and Peclet numbers being arbitrary but fixed. It is shown that unlike the natural counterflow with zero longitudinal net flow [1] a net discharge leads to a nonparallel flow structure characterized also by a variable longitudinal temperature gradient. The influence of parameters A, Gr, Pr and Pe on the flow structure is discussed. An asymptotic expression for the Nusselt number for longitudinal heat transport through the cavity is derived in the limit A → 0 and Gr, Pr, Pe fixed. © 1979 by ASME.

Duke Scholars

Author Adrian Bejan Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materia ...