Effect of conductive baffle on hot-wall in double diffusive convection of water near density maximum

Abstract EN

A numerical study has been performed to analyze the combined temperature and species gradients induced buoyancy-driven natural convection flow of cold water, near its density extremum, contained in a rectangular partitioned enclosure with isothermal side walls and insulated top and bottom.

A highly conductive thin baffle is attached to the hot wall.

The flow is assumed to be two-dimensional.

Numerical solutions of the governing equations are obtained using the two-step ADI method coupled with the SOR technique.

The results of the investigation are presented in the form of steadystate streamlines, isotherms, and isoconcentration lines.

The results are discussed for different positions and lengths of the baffle and different values of Schmidt number and hot-wall temperatures.

The heat and mass transfer rates calculated are found to behave nonlinearly.

The average heat transfer rate is enhanced when the position of the baffle is raised.

The heat and mass transfer are increased with increasing enclosure size.

It is also found that the convective heat transfer is greatly influenced by the presence of a density maximum in the convective fluid.