Numerical study of natural convection for Al2O3 and CuO nanofluids inside different enclosures

• In this study steady-state natural convection for Al2O3 and CuO nanofluids inside different enclosures are numerically investigated. Natural convection is concerned due to a temperature difference between hot and cold surfaces. Rectangular and curved enclosures are investigated. The Boussinesq approximation is used to form the governing equations and the commercial software package ANSYS Fluent version 14.0 is used to numerically solve the governing equations. The temperature profiles and flow patterns for different cases are studied. Heat transfer coefficients for various Rayleigh numbers are presented for the enclosures with different nanofluid concentrations. The nanoparticles enhance the heat transfer. The heat transfer enhancement increases with increase in nanoparticle concentration. A new curved enclosure is suggested to provide highest heat transfer.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Energiteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Energy Engineering (hsv//eng)

Keyword

NANOPARTICLES

Enclosures

Natural Convection

Numerical

Publication and Content Type

kon (subject category)

ref (subject category)