Optimization of heat transfer in a double lid-driven cavity with isoperimetric heated blocks using GFEM

Abstract

Abstract This article is concerned with the examination of flow dynamics and heat transfer characteristics in a 1:4 double lid driven cavity in presence of isoperimetric heated blocks of various shapes. The focus is to identify the optimal shape that enhances the heat transfer in a tall cavity. The parametric settings are chosen in such a way that all the convection regimes including natural, forced and mixed convection could be generated. This cavity has lids positioned at the top and bottom, moving in opposite directions along the x-axis. The physical system is represented as a set of coupled partial differential equations incorporating the rheological properties of the power-law fluids (PL). The governing equations in conjunction with various non-dimensional physical parameters are simulated via Galerkin’s Finite Element Method (GFEM) on a very fine hybrid grid. The study includes the computation of the Kinetic Energy and Average Nusselt number to determine the optimal shape. It is concluded that the circular block is superior to the other two in terms of heat transmission efficiency.

Keywords

• Mixed convection
• Lid driven cavity
• Non-Newtonian fluid
• Isoperimetric
• FEM computation
• Kinetic energy