Numerical study of mixed convection flow in a lid-driven cavity with sinusoidal heating on sidewalls using nanofluid

Mixed convection flow of Cu–water nanofluid inside a lid-driven square cavity with adiabatic horizontal walls and sinusoidal heating on sidewalls has been investigated numerically. The effects of increase in shear force for a fixed buoyancy force and effects of increase in buoyancy force for a fixed shear force were investigated. Effects of variations of Richardson number, phase deviation of sinusoidal heating, and volume fraction of nanoparticles on flow and temperature field were studied. The obtained results showed that for a constant Grashof number at all Richardson numbers, a clockwise eddy was developed inside the cavity, also the rate of heat transfer increases with decrease in Richardson number and increase of volume fraction of nanoparticles. For a constant Reynolds number the clockwise eddy is observed up to Ri = 1. For Ri = 10 a multicellular flow pattern is formed inside the cavity. Moreover it was found that when the Reynolds number is kept constant, the rate of heat transfer increases with increase in Richardson number.     

Natural convection in a square cavity containing a nanofluid and an adiabatic square block at the center

The problem of free convection fluid flow and heat transfer of Cu–water nanofluid inside a square cavity having adiabatic square bodies at its center has been investigated numerically. The governing equations have been discretized using the finite volume method. The SIMPLER algorithm was employed to couple velocity and pressure fields. Using the developed code, a parametric study was conducted and the effects of pertinent parameters such as Rayleigh number, size of the adiabatic square body, and volume fraction of the Cu nanoparticles on the fluid flow and thermal fields and heat transfer inside the cavity were investigated. The obtained results show that for all Rayleigh numbers with the exception of Ra = 10⁴ the average Nusselt number increases with increase in the volume fraction of the nanoparticles. At Ra = 10⁴ the average Nusselt number is a decreasing function of the nanoparticles volume fraction. Moreover at low Rayleigh numbers (10³ and 10⁴) the rate of heat transfer decreases when the size of the adiabatic square body increases while at high Rayleigh numbers (10⁵ and 10⁶) it increases.     

A 3D numerical simulation of mixed convection of a magnetic nanofluid in the presence of non-uniform magnetic field in a vertical tube using two phase mixture model

In this paper, results of applying a non-uniform magnetic field on a ferrofluid (kerosene and 4 vol% Fe₃O₄ ) flow in a vertical tube have been reported. The hydrodynamics and thermal behavior of the flow are investigated numerically using the two phase mixture model and the control volume technique. Two positive and negative magnetic field gradients have been examined. Based on the obtained results the Nusselt number can be controlled externally using the magnetic field with different intensity and gradients. It is concluded that the magnetic field with negative gradient acts similar to Buoyancy force and augments the Nusselt number, while the magnetic field with positive gradient decreases it. Also with the negative gradient of the magnetic field, pumping power increases and vice versa for the positive gradient case.     

Finite element analysis of AC loss in non-twisted Bi-2223 tape carrying AC transport current and/or exposed to DC or AC external magnetic field

AC losses in Bi-2223 superconducting tapes carrying AC transport current and/or exposed to DC or AC magnetic field are calculated with a numerical model based on the finite element method. Superconducting property is given by the E–J characteristic represented by a power law using equivalent conductivity. First, transport loss and magnetization loss are calculated numerically and compared with measured values. The calculated losses almost agree with the measured losses. Frequency dependencies of calculated and measured transport losses are compared with each other. Next, the influence of DC external magnetic field on the transport loss is studied. DC external magnetic field reduces n that is an exponent in the power law connecting resistivity and current density. The numerically calculated transport loss increases with increasing DC magnetic field. Finally, the total loss of superconducting tape carrying AC transport current in AC magnetic field is calculated. In the perpendicular magnetic field, the calculated total loss is lager than the sum of the transport loss and the magnetization loss, while they almost agree with each other in the parallel magnetic field.     

Predictions of pulsed field gradient NMR echo-decays for molecules diffusing in various restrictive geometries. Simulations of diffusion propagators based on a finite element method

Pulsed field gradient NMR diffusometry is a promising tool for investigating structures of porous material through determinations of dynamic displacements of molecules in porous systems. A problem with this approach is the lack of closed analytical expressions for echo-decays in anything but idealized pore geometries. We present here an approach based on calculating the appropriate diffusion propagator by means of finite element calculations. The suggested method is quite general, and can be applied to arbitrary porous systems. The protocol for the calculations is outlined and we show results from some different cases: diffusion in confined geometries and in systems that are spatially inhomogeneous with respect to concentration.     

Entropy generation and MHD natural convection of a nanofluid in an inclined square porous cavity: Effects of a heat sink and source size and location

The effects of a heat sink and the source size and location on the entropy generation, MHD natural convection flow and heat transfer in an inclined porous enclosure filled with a Cu-water nanofluid are investigated numerically. A uniform heat source is located in a part of the bottom wall, and a part of the upper wall of the enclosure is maintained at a cooled temperature, while the remaining parts of these two walls are thermally insulated. Both the left and right walls of the enclosure are considered to be adiabatic. The thermal conductivity and the dynamic viscosity of the nanofluid are represented by different verified experimental correlations that are suitable for each type of nanoparticle. The finite difference methodology is used to solve the dimensionless partial differential equations governing the problem. A comparison with previously published works is performed, and the results show a very good agreement. The results indicate that the Nusselt number decreases via increasing the nanofluid volume fraction as well as the Hartmann number. The best location and size of the heat sink and the heat source considering the thermal performance criteria and magnetic effects are found to be D?=?0.7 and B?=?0.2. The entropy generation, thermal performance criteria and the natural heat transfer of the nanofluid for different sizes and locations of the heat sink and source and for various volume fractions of nanoparticles are also investigated and discussed.     

Determination of propagation constants in a Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguide by using finite element and variational methods

The finite element and variational methods are used to determine the propagation constants in a titanium indiffused lithium niobate waveguide with the reconstructed refractive index profile (in depth) from the near field measurements. A subsequent second diffusion of magnesium affects the shape of the calculated electric field and we have defined an effective depth of the profile.