Heat and mass transfer by Natural convection around a hot body in a rectangular cavity

Abstract

The simultaneous heat and mass transfer by natural convection around a hot body in a rectangular cavity is investigated numerically. The cavity is filled with air and the ratio of body's length to enclosure's length is assumed to be constant at 1/3. The differential equations for continuity, momentum, energy and mass transfer are solved using the Patankar technique. The results are displayed in the form of isotherms, isoconcentrations and streamlines and the effects of Rayleigh number, Lewis number and buoyancy ratio on average Sherwood and Nusselt numbers are investigated. The study covers a wide range of Rayleigh numbers, Lewis numbers, and buoyancy ratios. It is observed that by increasing Lewis number, the average Sherwood number increases and the average Nusselt number decreases. Additionally, by increasing the absolute value of buoyancy ratio, the average Sherwood and Nusselt numbers enhance. This work is a novel one in this field in the light of the geometry and the range of dimensionless numbers.