Theoretical and Experimental Study of Unsteady Natural Convection Heat Transfer Through Cavity Between Eccentric Horizontal Cylinders

Abstract

A theoretical and experimental study on the transient natural convection heat transfer across an eccentric horizontal annulus under the condition of constant surface temperature was carried out. The numerical study was carried out using the computational fluid dynamics code, Fluent, based on the method of control volume to study the natural convection phenomena in this enclosure. The experimental work included manufacturing an experimental setup to clarifying the effect of eccentricity ratio, angular position, and time on the natural convection inside the enclosure. Results were presented in graphic forms of streamline and temperature distribution inside fluid. The study showed that the ability of the inner cylinder on transient convection heat transfer decreased as the transient Raleigh number increased which is increase as time required to reach the steady state increase, perhaps this ability increase in the case that include eccentricity ratio (ε=0.726) in the angular position (δ=180o) where this ability will be higher than concentric state (ε=0).