On a Free Convection Problem Over a Vertical Flat Surface in a Porous Medium

The problem of the free convection boundary-layer flow over a semi-infinite vertical flat surface in a porous medium is considered, in which the surface temperature has a constant value T₁ at the leading edge, where T₁ is above the ambient temperature, and takes a value T₂ at a given distance L along the surface, varying linearly between these two values and remaining constant afterwards. Numerical solutions of the boundary-layer equations are obtained as well as solutions valid for both small and large distance along the surface. Results are presented for the three cases, when the temperature T₂ is greater, equal or less than the ambient temperature T_∞. In the first case, T₂ > T_∞, a boundary-layer flow develops along the surface starting with a flow associated with the temperature difference T₁ − T_∞ at the leading edge and approaching a flow associated with the temperature difference T₂ − T_∞ at large distances. In the second case, T₂ = T_∞, the convective flow set up on the initial part of the surface drives a wall jet in the region where the surface temperature is the same as ambient. In the final case, T₂ < T_∞, a singularity develops in the numerical solution at the point where the surface temperature becomes T_∞. The nature of this singularity is discussed.     

Mixed Convection Effect on Melting from a Vertical Plate in a Porous Medium

In the present work, the effect of mixed convection about vertical surfaces on the phenomenon of melting process in a fluid-saturated porous medium is analyzed on the basis of boundary layer approximations. Similarity solutions are obtained for aiding external flow. The final similarity equations are integrated numerically by use of the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. Results are reported for the flow and thermal fields in the melt region. The melting phenomenon decreases the local Nusselt number at the solid–liquid interface.     

Mixed Convection Adjacent to a Suddenly Heated Horizontal Circular Cylinder Embedded in a Porous Medium

The mixed convection caused when a horizontal circular cylinder is suddenly heated is investigated in the situation when the initial flow past the cylinder is uniform and its direction either upwards or downwards. An analytical series solution, which is valid at small times, is obtained using the matched asymptotic expansions technique. A numerical solution, which is valid at all times and for any values of the Rayleigh and Péclet numbers, is also obtained using a fully implicit finite-difference method. Three different regimes, when either the free or forced convection is dominant or when they have the same order of magnitude, are considered. In the free convection dominated regime, two vortices develop near the sides of the cylinder in both situations of an upward or downward external flow. Comparisons between the analytical and numerical results at small times, as well as a detailed discussion of the evolution of the numerical solution are presented. The numerical results obtained for large Rayleigh, Ra, and Péclet Pe, numbers show that a thermal boundary-layer forms adjacent to the cylinder for any value of the ratio Ra/e. The steady state boundary-layer analysis, similar to that performed by Cheng and Merkin, is analysed in comparison to the numerical solution obtained for large values of Ra and Pe at very large times.     

Influence of Variable Permeability on Combined Convection Along a Nonisothermal Wedge in a Saturated Porous Medium

Mixed convection along a vertical nonisothermal wedge embedded in a fluid-saturated porous media incorporating the variation of permeability and thermal conductivity is studied. The surface temperature is assumed to vary as a power of the axial coordinate measured from the leading edge of the plate. A nonsimilar mixed convection parameter and a pseudo-similarity variable are introduced to cast the governing boundary layer equations into a system of dimensionless equations which are solved numerically using finite difference method. The entire mixed convection regime is covered by the single nonsimilarity parameter =[1+(Ra _x /Pe _x )^1/2]^–1 from pure forced convection (=1) to pure free convection (=0). The problem is solved using nonsimilarity solution for the case of variable wall temperature. Velocity and temperature profiles as well as local Nusselt number are presented. The wedge angle geometry parameter is ranged from 0 to 1.     

Mixed Convection Boundary-Layer Flow Near the Stagnation Point on a Vertical Surface in a Porous Medium: Brinkman Model with Slip

The steady boundary-layer flow near the stagnation point on an impermeable vertical surface with slip that is embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium is investigated. Using appropriate similarity variables, the governing system of partial differential equations is transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations. This system is then solved numerically. The features of the flow and the heat transfer characteristics for different values of the governing parameters, namely, the Darcy–Brinkman, Γ, mixed convection, λ, and slip, γ, parameters, are analysed and discussed in detail for the cases of assisting and opposing flows. It is found that dual solutions exist for assisting flows, as well as those usually reported in the literature for opposing flows. A stability analysis of the steady flow solutions encountered for different values of the mixed convection parameter λ is performed using a linear temporal stability analysis. This analysis reveals that for γ  =  0 (slip absent) and Γ  =  1 the lower solution branch is unstable while the upper solution branch is stable.     

Aiding and Opposing Mixed Convection Flow in Melting From a Vertical Flat Plate Embedded in a Porous Medium

The problem of melting from a vertical flat plate embedded in a porous medium is studied. The main focus is to determine the effect of mixed convection flow in the liquid phase on the melting phenomenon. Both aiding and opposing flows are considered. The conservation equations that govern the problem are reduced to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The governing equations are solved numerically. Numerical results are obtained for the temperature and flow fields in the melting region. The melting phenomenon decreases the local Nusselt number at the solid–liquid interface.     

Mixed Convection in Non-Newtonian Fluids Along an Isothermal Vertical Cylinder in a Porous Medium

Mixed convection in power-law type non-Newtonian fluids along an isothermal vertical cylinder in porous media is studied. The problem is solved by means of a finite difference method for the case of uniform wall temperature. Results for the details of the velocity and temperature fields as well as the Nusselt number have been presented. The viscosity index ranged from 0.5–1.5.     

Mixed Convection Boundary Layer Flow Past a Horizontal Circular Cylinder Embedded in a Bidisperse Porous Medium

Adopting a two-temperature and two-velocity model, appropriate to a bidisperse porous medium (BDPM) proposed by Nield and Kuznetsov (2008), the classical steady, mixed convection boundary layer flow about a horizontal, isothermal circular cylinder embedded in a porous medium has been theoretically studied in this article. It is shown that the boundary layer analysis leads to expressions for the flow and heat transfer characteristics in terms of an inter-phase momentum parameter, a thermal diffusivity ratio, a thermal conductivity ratio, a permeability ratio, a modified thermal capacity ratio, and a buoyancy or mixed convection parameter. The transformed partial differential equations governing the flow and heat transfer in the f-phase (the macro-pores) and the p-phase (the remainder of the structure) are solved numerically using a very efficient implicit finite-difference technique known as Keller-box method. A good agreement is observed between the present results and those known from the open literature in the special case of a traditional Darcy formulation (monodisperse system).     

Analytic Series Solution for Unsteady Mixed Convection Boundary Layer Flow Near the Stagnation Point on a Vertical Surface in a Porous Medium

In this paper, we solve the unsteady mixed convection flow near the stagnation point on a heated vertical flat plate embedded in a Darcian fluid-saturated porous medium by means of an analytic technique, namely the Homotopy Analysis Method. Different from previous perturbation results, our analytic series solutions are accurate and uniformly valid for all dimensionless times and for all possible values of mixed convection parameter, and besides agree well with numerical results. This provides us with a new analytic approach to investigate related unsteady problems.     

Mixed Convection in a Vertical Porous Channel

A numerical study of mixed convection in a vertical channel filled with a porous medium including the effect of inertial forces is studied by taking into account the effect of viscous and Darcy dissipations. The flow is modeled using the Brinkman–Forchheimer-extended Darcy equations. The two boundaries are considered as isothermal–isothermal, isoflux–isothermal and isothermal–isoflux for the left and right walls of the channel and kept either at equal or at different temperatures. The governing equations are solved numerically by finite difference method with Southwell–Over–Relaxation technique for extended Darcy model and analytically using perturbation series method for Darcian model. The velocity and temperature fields are obtained for various porous parameter, inertia effect, product of Brinkman number and Grashof number and the ratio of Grashof number and Reynolds number for equal and different wall temperatures. Nusselt number at the walls is also determined for three types of thermal boundary conditions. The viscous dissipation enhances the flow reversal in the case of downward flow while it counters the flow in the case of upward flow. The Darcy and inertial drag terms suppress the flow. It is found that analytical and numerical solutions agree very well for the Darcian model. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Mixed Convection–Radiation Interaction in Power-Law Fluids Along a Nonisothermal Wedge Embedded in a Porous Medium

A boundary layer analysis has been presented for the interaction of mixed convection with thermal radiation in laminar boundary flow from a vertical wedge in a porous medium saturated with a power-law type non-Newtonian fluid. The fluid considered is a gray medium, and the Rosseland approximation is used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. The transformed conservation laws are solved numerically for the case of variable surface temperature conditions. Results for the details of the velocity and temperature fields as well as the Nusselt number have been presented.     

Mixed Convection Boundary-Layer Flow in a Porous Medium Filled with Water Close to its Maximum Density

The steady mixed convection boundary-layer flow over a vertical impermeable surface in a porous medium saturated with water close to its maximum density is considered for uniform wall temperature and outer flow. The problem can be reduced to similarity form and the resulting equations are examined in terms of a mixed convection parameter λ and a parameter δ which measures the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature at the maximum density. Both assisting (λ > 0) and opposing flows (λ < 0) are considered. A value δ₀ is found for which there are dual solutions for a range λ_c < λ < 0 of λ (the value of λ_c dependent on δ) and single solutions for all λ ≥ 0. Another value of δ₁ of δ, with δ₁ > δ₀, is found for which there are dual solutions for a range 0 < λ < λ_c of positive values of λ, with solutions for all λ≤ 0. There is also a range δ₀ <  δ < δ₁ where there are solutions only for a finite range of λ, with critical points at both positive and negative values of λ, thus putting a finite limit on the range of existence of solutions.     

Free Convection from a Vertical Plate in a Porous Medium Subjected to a Porous Medium Subjected to a Sudden Change in Surface Heat Flux

An analysis is made of the transient free convection from a vertical flat plate which is embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium. It is assumed that for time a steady state temperature or velocity has been obtained in the boundary-layer which occurs due to a uniform flux dissipation rate . Then at time the heat flux on the plate is suddenly changed to and maintained at this value for 0$$ " align="middle" border="0"> . An analytical solution has been obtained for the temperature/velocity field for small times in which the transport effects are confined within an inner layer adjacent to the plate. These effects cause a new steady boundary layer. A numerical solution of the full boundary-layer equations is then obtained for the whole transient from to the steady state, firstly by means of a step-by-step method and then by a matching technique. The transition between the two distinct solution methods is always observed to occur very near to the turning point of the plate surface temperature, a time at which the fluid temperature is close to its steady state profile. The solution obtained using the step-by-step method shows excellent agreement with the small time analytical solution. Results are presented to illustrate the occurrence of transients from both small and large increases and decreases in the levels of existing energy inputs.     

Transient Free Convection from a Horizontal Surface in a Porous Medium Subjected to a Sudden Change in Surface Heat Flux

This paper presents an analytical and numerical study of transient free convection from a horizontal surface that is embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium. It is assumed that for time steady state velocity and temperature fields are obtained in the boundary-layer which occurs due to a uniform flux dissipation rate q ₁ on the surface. Then, at the heat flux on the surface is suddenly changed to q ₂ and maintained at this value for . Firstly, solutions which are valid for small and large are obtained. The full boundary-layer equations are then integrated step-by-step for the transient regime from the initial unsteady state ( ) until such times at which this forward marching approach is no longer well posed. Beyond this time no valid solutions could be obtained which matched the final solution from the forward integration to the steady state profiles at large times .     

Thermal Capacity Effect on Transient Free Convection Adjacent to a Vertical Surface in a Porous Medium

In this paper we analyse how the presence of the thermal capacity of a vertical flat plate of finite thickness, which is embedded in a porous medium affects the transient free convection boundary-layer flow. At the time t = 0, the plate is suddenly loaded internally with a constant heat flux rate q, so that a transient boundary-layer flow is initiated adjacent to the plate. Initially, the transient effects due to the imposition of the uniform heat flux rate at the plate are confined to a thin fluid region near to the surface and are described by a small time solution. These effects continue to penetrate outwards and eventually evolve into a new steady state flow. Analytical solutions have been derived for these transient (small time) and steady state (large time) flow regimes, which are then matched by a numerical solution of the full boundary-layer equations. It has been found that the non-dimensional fluid temperature (or fluid velocity) profiles are reduced when the thermal capacity effects, described by a parameter Q ^*, are reduced. For small values of Q ^*, the approach of these profiles to their steady state values is monotonic. However, for large values of Q ^*, the temperature profiles are observed to locally exceed (pass through a maximum value) the final steady state values at certain distances from the plate. In general, the maxima in the temperature profiles increase in size as Q ^* increases and the time taken to approach the steady state solutions increases significantly.     

Mixed Convection in a Horizontal Channel with Local Heating from Below

Mixed convection induced in the entrance region of a horizontal plane channel by a bottom heat source of finite dimensions is considered. The calculations were performed for the Prandtl number Pr = 1, Grashof numbers ranging from 4 · 10³ to 3.2 · 10⁴, and Reynolds numbers varying from 0 to 10. The dimensions of the heat source and its location were also varied. The results were obtained from a numerical solution of the 2D unsteady Navier-Stokes equations in the Boussinesq approximation, written in vorticity – stream function – temperature variables. The solution was found by the Galerkin finite element method.     

Natural Convection from a Vertical Plate in a Porous Medium Using Brinkman's Model

A regular perturbation analysis is presented for the following laminar natural convection flows of Newtonian fluids with temperature-dependent effective viscosity: a freely-rising plane plume, the flow above a horizontal line source on an adiabatic surface (a plane wall plume) and the flow adjacent to a vertical uniform flux surface for porous medium. The temperature-dependent effective viscosity introduces nonsimilarity into the governing equations. Numerical results are presented for the flow and heat transfer characteristics.     

The Convective Boundary-Layer Flow on a Reacting Surface in a Porous Medium

The convective boundary-layer flow on an impermeable vertical surface in a fluid-saturated porous medium is considered where the flow results from the heat released by an exothermic catalytic reaction on the surface converting a reactive component within the convective fluid to an inert product. The reaction is modelled by first-order kinetics with an Arrhenius temperature dependence. Numerical solutions of the governing equations are obtained for a range of parameter values. These show, for large activation energies, that localized rapid changes in wall temperature and localized high reaction rates occur a little way from the leading edge. Asymptotic expansions, valid at large distances from the leading edge, are derived, the form that these expansions take is qualitatively different depending on whether or not reactant consumption is included in the model.     

浮力对混合对流流动及换热特性的影响

用热线和冷线相结合的技术测量垂直圆管内逆混合对流流体的平均速度、 温度以及它们的脉动. 较详细地研究了浮力对逆混合对流的流动特性和传热特性的影响. 评 估了实验中采用的冷线测量温度补偿速度探头温度敏感的影响. 逆混合对流的传热结果用无 量纲参数Ω (Ω= Grd / Red2 )来表示，其中，基于管道直 径的雷诺数Red变化范围为900~18000, 浮力参数Ω变化范围为 0.004899~0.5047. 研究结果表明，浮力对逆混合对流的换热有强化作用. 随着葛拉晓夫数Grd的增加，温度脉动，流向雷诺正应力和流向温度通量增 大，并且在靠近壁面的流体区域尤其明显. 热线与冷线相结合的技术适合于研究非绝热的流 动测量，可以用于研究浮力对流动和换热特性的影响.     

Gravity Affected Lateral Dispersion and Diffusion in a Stationary Horizontal Porous Medium Shear Flow

Transport of dissolved species by a carrier fluid in a porous medium comprises advection and diffusion/dispersion processes. Hydrodynamic dispersion is commonly characterized by an empirical relationship, in which the dispersion mechanism is described by contributions of molecular diffusion and mechanical dispersion expressed as a function of the molecular Peclét number. Mathematically these two phenomena are modeled by a constant diffusion coefficient and by velocity dependent dispersion coefficients, respectively. Here, the commonly utilized Bear--Scheidegger dispersion model of linear proportionality between mechanical dispersion and velocity, and the more complicated Bear--Bachmat model derived on a streamtube array model porous medium and better describing observed dispersion coefficients in the moderate molecular Peclét number range, will be considered. Analyzing the mixing flow of two parallelly flowing confluent fluids with different concentrations of a dissolved species within the frames of boundary layer theory one has to deal with transverse mixing only. With the Boussinesq approximation being adopted approximate analytical solutions of the corresponding boundary layer system of equations show that there is no effect of density coupling on concentration distributions across the mixing layer in the pure molecular diffusion regime case. With the Peclét number of the oncoming flow growing beyond unity, density coupling has an increasing influence on the mixing zone. When the Peclét number grows further this influence is successively reduced until its disappearance in the pure mechanical dispersion regime.