Three-dimensional natural convection of CNT-water nanofluid confined in an inclined enclosure with Ahmed body

Abstract

A finite volume based three dimensional numerical studies on the heat transfer due to natural convection inside the inclined cubical cavity filled with CNT-water nanofluid is solved by vorticity-vector potential formalism. The enclosure contains an Ahmed body at its middle with differentially heated vertical walls. The other walls are adiabatic. The effect due to Rayleigh number (103 ≤ Ra ≤ 105), volumetric fraction (0 ≤ φ ≤ 0.05) of CNT particles, angle of incidence of enclosure (0° ≤ γ ≤ 180°) and thermal conductivity ratio (0.01 ≤ Rc ≤ 100) are analyzed. The results of fluid flow with single phase model are elucidated with Particle trajectories, Velocity vectors, Iso-surfaces of temperature and Nusselt number. CNT-particles enhanced the heat transfer in all the considered cases. Maximum average Nusselt number is reported when the angle of inclination is 30° and 150°. The variation in thermal conductivity ratio has a least effect on convection.

Keywords

• natural convection
• inclined cavity
• nanofluid
• ahmed body
• nusselt number