Numerical Simulation of Mixed Convection in a Rotating Cylindrical Cavity : Influence of Prandtl Number

Abstract EN

A numerical study of the flow and heat transfer on a rotating cylindrical cavity solving the mass, momentum, and energy equations is presented in this work.

The study describes the influence of the Prandtl number on flow in critical state on a cavity which contains a cooling fluid.

Problem studied includes Prandtl numbers 0.00115, aspect ratios 0.25< A >1, and Reynolds numbers 0.001600.

Differential equations have been discretised using the finite differences method.

The results show a tendency followed by heat transfer as the Reynolds number increases from 300 to 600; in addition, emphasis on the critical values of the Rayleigh number for small Prandtl numbers shows that thermal instability in mixed convection depends on the Prandtl number.