NUMERICAL PREDICTION OF NATURAL CONVECTION IN SQUARE PARTITIONED ENCLOSURES

Two-dimensional natural convection flows in square enclosures with partitions are analyzed for laminar flow. Side walls are assumed to be isothermal, while the top and bottom walls are adiabatic. Two different partition geometries are considered: one with a single partition located vertically at the center of the enclosure and the other with two identical partitions located at the top and bottom walls. Calculations are made for different Ray-leigh numbers, partition heights, and partition conductivities. Results show that the presence of partitions is relatively unimportant if the partitions do not cover more than half of the total height of the cavity. Overall heat transfer and thrvughflow respond only marginally to a change in partition conductivity except when the gap width is very small. Local results presented in the form of streamline and isotherm plots and variation of local Nusselt number over the hot wall provide valuable insight into the physical processes