Numerical simulation of a nanofluid flow in mixed convection inside a heated square cavity

Abstract EN

In this work, we have numerically studied the two-dimensional and laminar flow of water, and nanofluid (Cu-water) in mixed convection inside a square cavity, where right and left walls are heated with a constant temperature and contain conductive fins.

The lower and upper walls are adiabatic.

The numerical resolution of the mathematical model was made by the finite volume method.

The results obtained show that the Richardson number variations (Ri = 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10), the volume fraction (from 0.0 to 0.1), the aspect ratio as well as the angle of the cavity inclination have a considerable influence on the increase of the Nusselt number at the fins, and consequently on the improvement of the heat transfer inside the cavity.