Free and Forced Convection Analysis in an Open Cavity Considering Different Types of Fluid Along With Magnetic Field

Abstract

This paper addresses the combined convection flow and heat transfer characteristics in an open rectangular cavity containing a thermally isolated prismatic solid body. Considering the magnetic field effect, two different types of fluid (air, Pr = 0.71 and water, Pr = 7.1) have been used in this study. The finite element method based on Galerkin weighted residual with the Newton-Raphson iteration technique is imposed for the current problem. The studied domain is analyzed for Grashof number (10³ ≤ Gr ≤ 10⁶) and Hartmann number (20 ≤ Ha ≤ 150) one by one using two working fluids. Fluid velocity and thermal behavior are described in terms of streamlines and isotherms, shown in graphical and tabular form. Also, heat transfer performance in the heated portion of the bottom wall of the cavity is shown by the average Nusselt number. The results indicate that the pertinent parameters are vital in the flow and thermal field. Heat transfer increases as Gr rises and decreases with the increasing values of Ha. Overall, better cooling effectiveness was found in the case of Pr = 7.1.