Control of the free convective heat transfer using a U-shaped obstacle in an Al2O3-water nanofluid filled cubic cavity

Abstract

This paper deals with the study of free convection in a 3D enclosure filled with Al2O3-nanofluid and equipped with a U-shaped obstacle. The used U-shaped obstacle is considered perfectly conductive. The effect of the dimension and the orientation of the obstacle is investigated. In addition, the parameters governing the problem are varied as Rayleigh number (103 to 106), and nanoparticles volume fraction (0 to 7.5%). Results are depicted in terms of flow structures, temperature fields, and Nusselt number. Results show that the obstacle dimension and orientation can control the flow and optimize the heat transfer and the addition of nanoparticles enhances significantly Nusselt number.