Combined Heat and Mass Transfer by Natural Convection With Opposing Buoyancies

Abstract

A numerical study is presented for combined heat and mass transfer by natural convection from a vertical surface with opposing buoyancy effects. A comparison with similarity solutions shows that boundary layer analysis is suitable only when the two buoyant forces aid each other. For opposing flows the boundary layer analysis does not predict the transport rates accurately. A detailed comparison with experimental data with opposing buoyancies shows good agreement between the data and the numerical solutions. The heat and mass transfer rates follow complex trends depending on the buoyancy ratio and the Prandtl and Schmidt numbers. Comprehensive Nusselt and Sherwood number data are presented for a wide range of thermal Grashof number, buoyancy ratio, and Prandtl and Schmidt numbers.