Effects of Thermophysical Variable Properties on Liquid-Sodium Convective Flows in a Square Enclosure

Abstract

The influence of the variable properties on the buoyancy-driven flows of liquid sodium established in a square enclosure including two inner heated plates is numerically investigated. Two-dimensional turbulent simulations are obtained, considering uniform wall temperature heating conditions. The low-Reynolds k–ω turbulence model is employed. The average Nusselt number and the dimensionless mass-flow rate evaluated between the inner plates are obtained for a wide range of the Rayleigh number, varying from 103 to 1012. Several practical correlations are presented. The results obtained for different heating intensities are analyzed and compared. The expected decay in the heat transfer coefficients is less relevant than that previously obtained for airflows. The thermal structure of the flow into the enclosure is also shown.