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ISSN Online: 2377-424X

ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-421-2

International Heat Transfer Conference 15
August, 10-15, 2014, Kyoto, Japan

Natural Convection in an Inclined Differentially Heated Square Cavity

Get access (open in a dialog) DOI: 10.1615/IHTC15.ncv.009053
pages 5403-5412

Abstract

Numerical simulation of two-dimensional differentially heated natural convection flow in square cavities is used to investigate the effect of inclination on the flow. In particular, when the cavity is inclined so that the heated wall is below the cooled wall, with the other two walls adiabatic, it is observed that at a specific angle of inclination the flow undergoes a bifurcation so that the fully developed flow is unsteady and single mode. The bifurcation takes the form of travelling waves continually circulating the periphery of the cavity, adjacent to the heated, cooled and adiabatic walls. It is shown that the basic flow structure is changed when the cavity is inclined, with attached plumes forming adjacent to the adiabatic walls, rather than diffuse intrusions as in the non-inclined cavity. It is the ability of the attached plumes to sustain travelling waves that leads to the bifurcation.