Numerical Analysis of the Transient Process of Flow and Heat Transfer at High Rayleigh Number in a Partially Open Habitat Heated from Above

Abstract

In this work, we studied the thermoconvective instabilities in a pentagonal cavity containing a Newtonian fluid. The cavity provided with a side opening is uniformly heated from above by a constant heat flux. The natural ventilation phenomenon in the classic habitat of the hot climate is thus numerically analyzed with unsteady natural convection equations formulated with vorticity and stream-function variables. The finite volume predictions of two-dimensional laminar natural convection at high Rayleigh number are presented. Results show that the incoming fresh air and the hot air discharge begin with the late start of the convection. The phenomenon intensifies with time and the birth of instabilities improves the homogenisation of temperatures which imply the elimination of very cold and very hot areas. However, the competition between the incoming fresh air and the hot air expansion leads to a perpetual displacement of the thermal front. The cross-sections at the opening of the incoming fresh and outgoing hot air are time-varying and the penetration depth of the fresh air is highlighted by the large convective cells originated from the aperture. The non monotonic variation of the Nusselt number reflects not only the multicell nature of the flow but also expresses the heat lost by the active walls due to the fresh air.