Investigation of adding metal foams and slip velocity on natural convection in a square mini-cavity

Abstract

This study simultaneously investigates the impact of adding aluminum foam and slip velocity on natural convection in a square mini-cavity using a numerical method based on Finite Volume Method with SIMPLE algorithm. In order to model various phenomena in the current study, the impacts of changing parameters such as Rayleigh number, slip factor, and Darcy number studies on streamlines, isotherms, and Nusselt number. Increasing Ra number improves the mixing fluid flow and makes vortexes bigger, leading to enhancing Nu number. Likewise, slip velocity affects the boundary layer and temperature distribution, increasing the potion of convection by around 57% in the best case. Furthermore, adding metal foam has various outcomes depending on Ra and Da numbers. The effect of aluminum foam in higher permeability is better in improving Nu number. Simultaneously adding metal foam with Da= 0.1 and slip velocity (λ= 0.1) in the square mini-cavity increases Nu number by approximately 130%. However, In the absence of slip velocity, Nu number decreases by around 6% at Da =0.0001. So, it is noteworthy that the permeability of porous media has a critical amount in natural convection to be used positively.