Density Maximum Effect on Double-diffusive Natural Convection in a Porous Cavity with Variable Wall Temperature

• Published in: Transport in porous media Vol. 73; no. 2; pp. 195 - 210
• Main Authors: Kandaswamy, P., Eswaramurthi, M., Lee, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2008; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Civil Engineering; Classical and Continuum Physics; Density; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Finite volume method; Free convection; Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Heat transfer; Hydrogeology; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Mass transfer; Porosity; Porous media; Schmidt number; Wall temperature; Natural convection; Porosity; Density maximum; Double diffusion; models; diffusion; density; porosity; ground water; Finite volume method; concentration; isotherms; transport; velocity; mass transfer; convection; temperature; heat flux; boundary conditions; porous media; energy
• ISSN: 0169-3913; 1573-1634
• DOI: 10.1007/s11242-007-9174-8

The effect of density maximum of water on double-diffusive natural convection in a two-dimensioned cavity filled with a water saturated isotropic porous medium is studied numerically. The horizontal walls of the cavity are insulated. The opposing vertical walls are kept at different temperatures θ h (linearly varies with height) and θ c  ( θ c ≤  θ h ). The concentration levels at cold wall and hot wall are, respectively, c 1 and c 2 with c 1  > c 2 . Brinkman-Forchheimer extended Darcy model is used to investigate the average heat and mass transfer rates. The non-dimensional equations for momentum, energy, and concentration are solved by finite volume method with power law scheme for convection and diffusion terms. The results are presented in the form of streamlines, isotherms, and isoconcentration lines for various values of Grashof numbers, Schmidt number, porosity, and Darcy numbers. It is observed that the density maximum of water has profound effect on the thermosolutal convection. The effects of different parameters on the velocity, temperature, and species concentrations are also shown graphically.