Numerical Simulation of Natural Convection in Porous Media

摘要

Numerical predictions of the influence of an intervening flow-resistive medium on the natural convection heat transfer between two long concentric horizontal cylinders are presented. The full range of resistivity is covered, from low values in which inertia and viscous stresses control the flow, to values large enough for the latter terms to be negligible. Steady laminar flow is considered, with uniform properties and with a single Prandtl number and radius ratio. The influences of numerical factors, such as mesh size and distribution on the predictions are considered. The study shows that numerical-simulation capabilities can largely satisfy needs for heat-transfer predictions; but only the information-on-demand mode is economically practicable. It is argued that this entails a shift in the emphasis in research from the predictions themselves to the efficiency with which more of them can be produced.