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Buoyant laminar flow of air in a long, square-section cavity aligned with the ambient temperature gradient

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2006

G. S. H. Lock
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
J.-C. Han
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

Numerical solutions have been obtained for three-dimensional buoyant flow of air under laminar conditions in a slender, square-section cavity lying parallel to the gradient vector of the temperature field in which it is embedded. Velocity and temperature profiles in the cavity are presented in support of a flow model in which primary and secondary circulation are reconciled by an advective mechanism in the central region. The effect of the temperature gradient, represented by a Rayleigh number, is explored when the cavity is horizontal. The effect of inclining the cavity above and below this horizontal position is also explored. Comparisons are made with related work on cylindrical and two-dimensional rectangular cavities.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1989 Cambridge University Press

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