Computation of melting with natural convection inside a rectangular enclosure heated by discrete protruding heat sources

This paper presents the results of a numerical investigation of the heat transfer by natural convection during the melting of a phase change material (PCM, n-eicosane with melting point of 36 °C) contained in a rectangular enclosure. This latest is heated by three discrete protruding heat sources (simulating electronic components) placed on one of its vertical walls. The power generated by heat sources is dissipated in PCM. The advantage of using this cooling scheme is that the PCMs are able to absorb high amount of heat generated by the heat sources, without acting the fan during the charging process (melting of the PCM). The thermal behavior and thermal performance of the proposed PCM based-heat sink are numerically investigated by developing a mathematical model based on the mass, momentum and energy conservation equations. The obtained numerical results show the impact of various key parameters on the cooling capacity of the PCM-based heat sink. Correlations encompassing a wide range of parameters were developed in terms of the dimensionless secured operating time (time required by one of the electronic components before reaching its critical temperature, T_cr ∼ 75 °C) and the corresponding liquid fraction, using the asymptotic computational fluid dynamics (ACFD) technique.     

Numerical analysis of the thermal behaviour of a shell-and-tube heat storage unit using phase change materials

This work presents a numerical study of a latent heat storage unit (LHSU) consisting of a shell-and-tube. The shell space is filled with two phase change materials (PCMs), P116 and n-octadecane, with different melting temperatures (50 °C and 27.7 °C, respectively). A heat transfer fluid (HTF: water) flows by forced convection through the inner tube, and transfers the heat to PCMs. In order to compare the thermal performances of the latent heat storage unit using two phase change materials (LHSU2) and a single PCM (LHSU1), a mathematical model based on the conservation energy equations was developed and validated with experimental data. Several numerical investigations were conducted in order to examine the impact of the key parameters: the HTF inlet temperature (ranges from 50 to 60 °C), the mass flow rate of the HTF and the proportion mass of PCMs, on the thermal performances of the latent heat storage units using two PCMs and a single PCM, during charging process (melting). This parametric study provides guidelines for system thermal performance and design optimization.     

Mathematical modeling and computation of fire induced turbulent flow in partial enclosures

The purpose of this paper is to understand the growth and spread of fires in ceiling vented enclosures. The transport phenomena due to fire have been modeled as buoyancy-induced turbulent flow in partial enclosures. The governing equations comprises the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations with k–?$k''–''?$ turbulence model in stream function–vorticity formulation approach. The governing equations are solved by high accuracy compact finite difference schemes with four stage Runge–Kutta method for time integration. Results are reported for Grashof numbers varied from 10⁸${10}^8$ to 10¹⁰${10}^{10}$. The effects of multiple heat sources in rectangular enclosure and ceiling vent aspect ratio in square enclosure are investigated. The thermal plume growth rate, ambient entrainment flow rate and the oscillatory nature at the vent opening are reported. As the Grashof number increases the effect of entrained ambient air is significant with higher volume flow rates through ceiling vent. A bidirectional flow is visualized at the ceiling opening. The distance between two heat sources governs the unified and independent behavior of thermal plumes. Present results are matching very well with the numerical and experimental results available in literature.     

Mixed convection of heat generating nanofluid in a lid-driven cavity with uniform and non-uniform heating of bottom wall

Steady state two-dimensional mixed convection in a lid-driven square cavity filled with Cu  –water nanofluid is investigated numerically in the presence of internal heat generation. In the present investigation, bottom wall is uniformly and non-uniformly heated while two vertical walls are fixed and they are thermally insulated. The top wall is moving from left to right at a constant speed. The governing equations are normalized and solved numerically with boundary conditions by finite volume approach using third order accurate upwinding scheme (deferred QUICK). Effects of the pertinent physical parameters are investigated in terms of the flow and temperature fields, as well as Nusselt number distributions. The presented results show that the solid volume fraction plays a significant role on the flow and thermal fields and the Nusselt number distributions for different flow configurations. It is found that Richardson number strongly affect the fluid flow and heat transfer in the cavity. For Ri<1$\mathit{Ri}<1$, the forced convection becomes dominant in the entire cavity, the natural convection relatively weak.     

Analysis of melting behavior of PCMs in a cavity subject to a non-uniform magnetic field using a moving grid technique

Melting flow and heat transfer of electrically conductive phase change materials subjecting to a non-uniform magnetic field are addressed in a square enclosure. The top and bottom walls of the cavity are adiabatic, and the sidewalls are isothermal at different temperatures. The temperature of the hot wall is higher than the fusion temperature of PCM (T_f), and the cold wall is at the fusion temperature or lower. At the initial time, the cavity is filled with a solid saturated PCM. In the vicinity to the hot wall, there is an external line-source magnet, inducing a magnetic field. The location of the magnetic source (Y₀) can be changed along the hot wall. The cavity domain is divided into two parts of the liquid domain and the solid domain. The moving grid method is utilized to track the phase change interface at the exact fusion temperature of T_f. The governing equations for continuity, flow and heat transfer associated with the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) moving mesh technique are solved using the finite element method. The results are investigated for the melting behavior of PCM by the study of Hartmann number (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 50) and the location of the magnetic source (0 ≤ Y₀ ≤ 1). Outcomes show that the effect of the magnetic field on the melting behavior of PCM is negligible at the initial stages of the melting (Fo < 1.15). However, after the initial stages of the melting, the effect of the presence of a magnetic field becomes significant. Moreover, the location of the magnetic source induces a feeble effect on the melting front at the initial melting stages, but its effect on the shape of the melting front increases by the increase of the non-dimensional time. The location of the magnetic source also significantly affects the streamlines patterns. Changing the position of the magnetic source from the bottom of the cavity (Y₀ = 0.2) to the almost middle of the cavity (Y₀ = 0.6) would decrease the required non-dimensional time of full melting from Fo = 10.4 to Fo = 9.0.     

Modeling of thermal phenomena in single laser beam and laser-arc hybrid welding processes using projection method

This paper concerns mathematical and numerical modeling of thermal phenomena accompanying single laser and laser-arc hybrid butt welding of steel sheets. Coupled heat transfer and fluid flow in the fusion zone were described respectively by transient heat transfer equation and Navier–Stokes equation. Laser beam and electric arc heat sources were modeled using different heat source power distributions. Latent heat associated with the material’s state changes, buoyancy forces and liquid material flow through a porous medium were taken into account in considerations. Differential governing equations were numerically solved using projection method combined with finite volume method. Elaborated solution algorithm was implemented into computer solver used for simulation of heat transfer and fluid flow during welding. The geometry of the weld and heat affected zone as well as cooling rates were estimated on the basis of numerically obtained temperature field.     

Analysis of flow and thermal field in nanofluid using a single phase thermal dispersion model

Flow and thermal field in nanofluid is analyzed using single phase thermal dispersion model proposed by Xuan and Roetzel [Y. Xuan, W. Roetzel, Conceptions for heat transfer correlation of nanofluids, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 43 (2000) 3701–3707]. The non-dimensional form of the transport equations involving the thermal dispersion effect is solved numerically using semi-explicit finite volume solver in a collocated grid. Heat transfer augmentation for copper–water nanofluid is estimated in a thermally driven two-dimensional cavity. The thermo-physical properties of nanofluid are calculated involving contributions due to the base fluid and nanoparticles. The flow and heat transfer process in the cavity is analyzed using different thermo-physical models for the nanofluid available in literature. The influence of controlling parameters on convective recirculation and heat transfer augmentation induced in buoyancy driven cavity is estimated in detail. The controlling parameters considered for this study are Grashof number (10³ < Gr < 10⁵), solid volume fraction (0 < ? < 0.2) and empirical shape factor (0.5 < n < 6). Simulations carried out with various thermo-physical models of the nanofluid show significant influence on thermal boundary layer thickness when the model incorporates the contribution of nanoparticles in the density as well as viscosity of nanofluid. Simulations incorporating the thermal dispersion model show increment in local thermal conductivity at locations with maximum velocity. The suspended particles increase the surface area and the heat transfer capacity of the fluid. As solid volume fraction increases, the effect is more pronounced. The average Nusselt number from the hot wall increases with the solid volume fraction. The boundary surface of nanoparticles and their chaotic movement greatly enhances the fluid heat conduction contribution. Considerable improvement in thermal conductivity is observed as a result of increase in the shape factor.     

Effects of the magnetic field on direct contact melting transport processes during rotation

Contact melting heat transfer occurs via relative motion between the heating source and a phase change material (PCM) during melting in various applications. In this study, we investigated the physics of the close contact melting process generated by rotation and when subjected to an applied magnetic field. We transformed the physical model comprising the three-dimensional mass, momentum, and energy equations of the liquid melt layer in the cylindrical coordinate system, including the effects of the Lorentz forces and coupled with an interfacial energy jump condition, into a set of nonlinear similarity equations. Various characteristic dimensionless variables were identified, including an external force parameter σ, which defines the relationship between the external load on the PCM and the centrifugal force due to rotation, and a magnetic field parameter M. Numerical results were obtained and we systematically studied and interpreted the effects of various dimensionless variables on the contact melting and heat transfer processes during rotation, including the structures of the flow and thermal fields, melt layer thickness, and the melting and heat transfer rates. In particular, our results demonstrate that the melting and heat transfer rates increase while the liquid melt film becomes thinner as the external force parameter σ increases. By contrast, an increase in the magnetic field parameter M decreases the melting and heat transfer rates, while yielding relatively thicker melt layers.     

Influence of temperature-dependent viscosity and thermal radiation on MHD forced convection over a non-isothermal wedge

An analysis has been carried out to study heat transfer characteristics of an incompressible Newtonian electrically conducting and heat generating/absorbing fluid having temperature-dependent viscosity over a non-isothermal wedge in the presence of thermal radiation. The Rosseland approximation is used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. The wedge surface is assumed to be permeable so as to allow for possible wall suction or injection. The effects of viscous dissipation, Joule heating, stress work and thermal radiation are included in the model. The governing differential equations are derived and transformed using a non-similarity transformation. The transformed equations are solved numerically by applying a fifth-order Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg scheme with shooting technique. Favorable comparisons with previously published work on various special cases of the problem are obtained. Numerical results for the velocity and temperature profiles for a prescribed magnetic field parameter as well as the development of the local skin-friction coefficient and local Nusselt number with the magnetic field and radiation parameters are presented graphically and in tabulated form to elucidate the influence of the various physical parameters.     

Non-Newtonian phase-change heat transfer of nano-enhanced octadecane with mesoporous silica particles in a tilted enclosure using a deformed mesh technique

In the present study, the melting phase-change heat transfer of nano-enhanced phase-change octadecane by using mesoporous silica particles is investigated in an inclined cavity, theoretically. The presence of mesoporous silica particles induces non-Newtonian effects in the molten octadecane. A phase-change interface-tracking approach, deformed mesh technique, is employed to track the phase-change interface and heat transfer in the cavity. The Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) moving mesh technique along with the finite element method is adopted to solve the governing equations for conservation of mass, momentum, and energy during the phase-change process. A re-meshing technique and an automatic time step control approach are employed to control the quality of the deformed mesh and the computed numerical solution. The effect of various mass fractions of nanoparticles and various inclination angles of the enclosure on the heat transfer and phase-change behavior of nano-enhanced octadecane are addressed. The outcome reveals that using the mesoporous silica particles diminish the heat transfer in the enclosure. Although the presence of nanoparticles improved the conductive heat transfer, a reduction in the phase-change heat transfer performance of the enclosure can be observed, which is due to the increase of the viscosity (consistency parameter) of the liquid and suppression of natural convective flows. Moreover, the presence of nanoparticles reduces the latent heat capacity of octadecane as they do not contribute to the phase-change energy storage. Dispersing 5% mass fraction of nanoparticles in octadecane can reduce the heat transfer up to 50% and increase the consistency parameter by three folds. The angle of inclination of the cavity also plays an important role in the heat transfer characteristics. Tilting the cavity by -75° leads to an 80% reduction in the heat transfer.     

Optimal paths for minimizing entransy dissipation during heat transfer processes with generalized radiative heat transfer law

A common of finite-time heat transfer processes between high- and low-temperature sides with generalized radiative heat transfer law [q ∝ Δ(Tⁿ)] is studied in this paper. In general, the minimization of entropy generation in heat transfer processes is taken as the optimization objective. A new physical quantity, entransy, has been identified as a basis for optimizing heat transfer processes in terms of the analogy between heat and electrical conduction recently. Heat transfer analyses show that the entransy of an object describes its heat transfer ability, as the electrical energy in a capacitor describes its charge transfer ability. Entransy dissipation occurs during heat transfer processes, as a measure of the heat transfer irreversibility with the dissipation related thermal resistance. Under the condition of fixed heat load, the optimal configurations of hot and cold fluid temperatures for minimizing entransy dissipation are derived by using optimal control theory. The condition corresponding to the minimum entransy dissipation strategy with Newtonian heat transfer law (n = 1) is that corresponding to a constant heat flux rate, while the condition corresponding to the minimum entransy dissipation strategy with the linear phenomenological heat transfer law (n = −1) is that corresponding to a constant ratio of hot to cold fluid temperatures. Numerical examples for special cases with Newtonian, linear phenomenological and radiative heat transfer law (n = 4) are provided, and the obtained results are also compared with the conventional strategies of constant heat flux rate and constant hot fluid (reservoir) temperature operations and optimal strategies for minimizing entropy generation. Moreover, the effects of heat load changes on the optimal hot and fluid temperature configurations are also analyzed.     

Axi symmetric 2D simulation and numerical heat transfer characteristics for the calibration furnace in a rectangular enclosure

This paper presents axi symmetric 2D numerical investigation of the spherical thermocouple calibration furnace in a rectangular enclosure. The focus is on the flow structure inside the Saturn (a hollow spherical cavity), external flow behavior due to annulus block heating and the surface temperature uniformity. Mesh sensitivity analysis is adopted to extract the mesh with minimum number of nodes but with fast convergent finite element solution. The basic strategy here is that temperature perturbation error at a single point instead of a single element contributed to the total perturbation error qualitatively remains the same. Agreement between numerical simulation results and the experiment results is good with a maximum temperature deviation 10 °C for the cavity temperature 400 °C. Finally, standard numerical temperature uncertainty due to variation in thermal conductivity is computed through the sensitivity coefficient using uncertainty analysis.     

Effects of Reynolds and Prandtl number on mixed convection in a ventilated cavity with a heat-generating solid circular block

A numerical study has been executed to analyze the effects of Reynolds and Prandtl number on mixed convective flow and heat transfer characteristics inside a ventilated cavity in presence of a heat-generating solid circular obstacle placed at the center. The inlet opening is at the bottom of the left wall, while the outlet one is at the top of the right wall and all the walls of the cavity are considered to be adiabatic. Galerkin weighted residual finite element method is used to solve the governing equations of mass, momentum and energy. Results are presented in terms of streamlines, isotherms, the average Nusselt number, the Drag force and the average fluid temperature in the cavity for different combinations of controlling parameters namely, Reynolds number, Prandtl number and Richardson number. The results indicate that the flow and thermal fields as well as the heat transfer rate, the Drag force and the average fluid temperature in the cavity depend significantly on the mentioned parameters.     

Numerical modelling of EHD effects on heat transfer and bubble shapes of nucleate boiling

In this article, mathematical and numerical models are developed to study pure electrohydrodynamic (EHD) effects on heat transfer and bubble shapes when an initial bubble attached to a superheated horizontal wall in nucleate boiling. In the modelling of EHD effects on heat transfer, an undeformed bubble is considered; the electric body force and Joule heat are added to the momentum and energy equations; governing equations for heat, fluid flow and electric fields are coupled numerically and solved using a non-orthogonal body-fitted mesh system with necessary interfacial treatments at the gas–liquid boundary. While, to study the pure effect of EHD on the deformation of the bubble, the evaluation of a deformable bubble without heat transfer is simulated by volume of fluid (VOF) method based on an axial symmetric Cartesian coordinate system. The simulations indicate that EHD can effectively enhance heat transfer rate of nucleate boiling by influencing the motion of the ring vortex around the bubble and that bubble can be elongated due to the pull in axial direction and push in the negative radial direction by the electric field force.     

Mathematical framework for predicting solar thermal build-up of spectrally selective coatings at the Earth’s surface

A transient finite element thermal model is formulated valid for surface coatings on any substrate material and based on the continuum conduction equations with solar loading as a heat source. The model allows cooling to be applied at outer surfaces of the body, by natural convection and accounts for ambient radiative heat loss. Hemispherical spectral reflectivities are obtained for various polymer-based coatings on a steel substrate using spectrophotometers in the 0.1 μm to 25 μm wavelengths. A time-dependent solar irradiation energy source (blackbody equivalent) is applied to an object with spectrally diffuse outer surfaces, and the incoming heat flux is split by a band approximation into reflected and absorbed energy and finally integrated over the complete spectrum to provide thermal source terms for the finite element model.     

Analyses on 3-D gas flow and heat transfer in ladle furnace lid

In order to verify the reasonableness of off-gas pressure and wall temperature, a mathematical model for gas flow and heat transfer in ladle furnace (LF) lid is developed based on 3-D Navier–Stokes equations and k–ε two equation turbulent models as well as energy conservation equation. The gas velocity vector distribution of skirt clearance between the top edge of ladle and furnace lid and electrode gaps between three graphite electrodes and furnace lid, the gas flow line distribution, pressure and temperature distribution on the furnace lid wall are simulated. Simulation results show that appropriate off-gas pressures are 200 Pa, 200 Pa and 150 Pa when electric arc emerges from molten steel surface and alloy hole is unsealed, electric arc emerges from molten steel surface and alloy hole is closure, electric arc immerges into molten steel surface and alloy hole is closure, respectively. The maximum temperature presents in the middle of LF lid in all of heating conditions, and the temperature value are 563, 603 and 343 K. Finally, the relations between gas volume and off-gas pressure are analyzed in different width of skirt clearance, and some relevant mathematical expressions are obtained. By comparing both simulation results and practical data, the advice on reducing off-gas pressure is proposed, and the maximum temperatures of furnace lid wall have good agreement with actual data.     

Asymptotic stability in thermoelectromagnetism with memory

A model describing a linear homogeneous dielectric with memory which obeys the Cattaneo–Maxwell law for the heat conduction is presented. The restrictions on the constitutive functionals are found as a direct consequence of the Second Law of Thermodynamics and some free energy potentials exhibited. Such potentials allow to determine a domain of dependence theorem for the first‐order integro‐differential system of equations governing the evolution of the thermoelectromagnetic radiation. The dissipativity due to the memory and to the heat conduction allows to establish some estimates on the asymptotic behaviour and prove the exponential decay of the solution of the system in absence of external sources. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Green’s function,temperature in a convectively cooled sphere with arbitrarily located spherical heat sources

Steady state heat conduction in a convectively cooled sphere having arbitrarily located spherical heat sources inside is treated with the method of Green’s function accompanied by a coordinate transform. Green’s function of the heat diffusion operator for a finite sphere with Robin boundary condition is obtained by spherical harmonics expansion. Verification of the analytical solution is exemplified in some generic cases related to the pebbles of South-African PBMR as of year 2000 with 268 MW thermal power. Analytical results for different sectors of the sphere (pebble) are compared with the results of computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT^™. This work is motivated through a modest effort to assess the stochastic effects of distribution and volumetric effects of fuel kernels within the pebbles of future-promising pebble bed reactors.     

Effect of Hall current on transient hydromagnetic Couette–Poiseuille flow of a viscoelastic fluid with heat transfer

The unsteady Couette–Poiseuille flow of an electrically conducting incompressible non-Newtonian viscoelastic fluid between two parallel horizontal non-conducting porous plates is studied with heat transfer considering the Hall effect. A sudden uniform and constant pressure gradient, an external uniform magnetic field that is perpendicular to the plates and uniform suction and injection through the surface of the plates are applied. The two plates are kept at different but constant temperatures while the Joule and viscous dissipations are taken into consideration. Numerical solutions for the governing momentum and energy equations are obtained using finite difference approximations. The effect of the Hall term, the parameter describing the non-Newtonian behavior, and the velocity of suction and injection on both the velocity and temperature distributions is examined.     

Stagnation-point flow and heat transfer over an exponentially shrinking sheet

An analysis is carried out to investigate the stagnation-point flow and heat transfer over an exponentially shrinking sheet. Using the boundary layer approximation and a similarity transformation in exponential form, the governing mathematical equations are transformed into coupled, nonlinear ordinary differential equations which are then solved numerically by a shooting method with fourth order Runge-Kutta integration scheme. The analysis reveals that a solution exists only when the velocity ratio parameter satisfies the inequality −1.487068 ? c/a. Also, the numerical calculations exhibit the existence of dual solutions for the velocity and the temperature fields; and it is observed that their boundary layers are thinner for the first solution (in comparison with the second). Moreover, the heat transfer from the sheet increases with an increase in c/a for the first solution, while the heat transfer decreases with increasing c/a for the second solution, and ultimately heat absorption occurs.