Numerical analysis of combined natural convection-internal heat generation source-surface radiation

Abstract

Numerical study of combined laminar natural convection and surface radiation with internal heat generation is presented in this paper and computations are performed for an air-filled square cavity whose four walls have the same emissivity. Finite volume method through the concepts of staggered grid and SIMPLER algorithm has been applied, and the view factors are determined by analytical formula. A power scheme is also used in approximating advection-diffusion terms. Representative results illustrating the effects of emissivity and the internal heat generation on the streamlines and temperature contours within the enclosure are reported. In addition, obtained results for local and average convective and radiative Nusselt, for various parametric conditions, show that internal heat generation modifies significantly the flow and temperature fields.