Optimal Design of Thermal Radiative Heating of Horizontal Thin Plates Using the Entropy Generation Minimization Method

Abstract

Thermal radiant heating through distinct heat sources is of interest for the thermal loading of thin objects as it is used in residential applications, furnaces, and insulator designs. In this paper, an optimal design for a thermal radiant system by discrete suspended heat sources is analyzed in a side open cavity used for heating the top plate, while the bottom plate is kept at a constant temperature, using the entropy generation minimization method. To avoid pressure fluctuations, the semi-implicit method for pressure linked equations method is used, which solves the continuity, Navier-Stokes, fluid energy, and surface energy equations simultaneously. The system is optimized based on the characteristic length of discrete heat sources, height of discrete heat sources from the bottom plate, the distance between discrete heat sources, the number of discrete heat sources, and the aspect ratio of the cavity that finds the optimal location of heating elements. In addition to the geometrical parameters, the effects of the thermal loading parameters on the optimal position are investigated.

Keywords

• entropy generation minimization
• thermal radiant system
• free convection
• optimization