On a physically-realizable benchmark problem in internal natural convection

• Published in: International journal of heat and mass transfer Vol. 41; no. 23; pp. 3817 - 3828
• Main Authors: Leong, W.H., Hollands, K.G.T., Brunger, A.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier 01.12.1998
• Subjects: Boundary conditions; Computational fluid dynamics; Computational methods in fluid dynamics; Convection and heat transfer; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid dynamics; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Nusselt number; Physics; Turbulent flows, convection, and heat transfer; Temperature distribution; Error analysis; Nusselt number; Computational fluid dynamics; Digital simulation; Boundary conditions; Natural convection; Heat transfer coefficient; Experimental study; Cavity flow; Comparative study; Heat transfer
• ISSN: 0017-9310
• DOI: 10.1016/S0017-9310(98)00095-7

A new natural convection `benchmark problem' for validating CFD codes is defined. In the subject problem, a cubical air-filled cavity, tilted at 0, 45 degree , or 90 degree , has one pair of opposing faces at different temperatures, T sub(h) and T sub(c), respectively, the remaining faces having a linear variation from T sub(c) to T sub(h). In contrast to some other benchmark problems, this problem is physically-realizable. Experimental techniques to establish the thermal boundary conditions and to measure the Nusselt number to 1% accuracy are reported. Measured Nusselt numbers at Rayleigh number equal to 4x10 super(4) are shown to agree with CFD predictions to within plus or minus 0.3%.