The finite-difference computation of natural convection in a rectangular enclosure

摘要

A study is made of the natural convection of a fluid contained in a long horizontal enclosure of rectangular cross section with one vertical wall heated and the other cooled. Two-dimensional motion is assumed. The governing vorticity and energy transport equations are solved by an implicit alternating direction finite-difference method. Transient and steady state isothermals and streamlines are obtained for Grashof numbers up to 100,000 and for height-to-width ratios of 1, 2, and 3.