Numerical results are presented for transient natural convection from a heat source buried in a saturated porous layer. The porous layer is thermally stratified with a negative temperature gradient. The effects of the size of the heat source are also investigated. The results, which include the buoyancy-induced flow patterns and temperature profiles, as well as the heat transfer coefficient in terms of the Nusselt number, are presented for a wide range of base Rayleigh number and stratification parameter. The results thus obtained have important implications for applications in geothermal energy and underground disposal of nuclear wastes.
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