Convective Flow Interaction and Heat Transfer Between Fluid and Porous Layers

Convective flow and heat transfer in composite systems of fluid and porous layers may be modeled by employing either a two-domain approach with slip conditions at the fluid/porous layer interface or a continuum approach. Both of these formulations have been used in the literature to study the onset of convection in horizontal layers of various configurations. Experimental and numerical results for heat transfer rates are, however, reported for only fluid-superposed porous layers heated from below. Flow visualization pictures show interesting effect of fluid layer height and porous matrix structure. Strong interaction between the overlying fluid layer and the porous bed is demonstrated even when the porous layer is densely packed and the Rayleigh number is low. Studies on volumetrically heated porous bed and vertical cavity are also reviewed.