A Study of Free Convection Induced by a Vertical Wavy Surface with Heat Flux in a Porous Enclosure

Abstract

Free convection induced by a vertical wavy surface with uniform heat flux in a porous enclosure has been analyzed numerically using the finite element method (FEM). The flow and the convection process in the cavity is found to be sensitive to the flow parameter Rayleigh number (Ra), and geometrical parameters like wave amplitude (a), wave phase (φ), and number of waves (N) in the vertical dimension of the cavity. The study reveals that small sinusoidal drifts from the smoothness of a vertical wall with a phase angle of 60^o and high frequency enhances the free convection from a vertical wall with uniform heat flux.