Abstract:
The flow and heat transfer in a bottom heated ventilated cubic enclosure is studied experimentally, visualizing the flow field using particle image velocimetry, and numerically, using a finite volume computational fluid dynamics code. The experimental results reveal how the flow structure is dependent on the size of the opening in the enclosure. For an opening over the top 50% of one wall, the experimental visualization reveals a flow structure on the center plane of two counter rotating cells, which is also found in the computational model. The stability of the flow is examined by the numerical model, and a stability limit of Ra ~ 10 6 was found, below which the flow is stable, and above which the flow becomes oscillatory or irregular. The enclosure was modelled for a variety of opening locations, and the case where the opening was at the top of the enclosure gave the highest rates of heat transfer.