摘要

Natural convection in a trapezoidal enclosure filled with a porous medium is analyzed numerically in this investigation. Three different configurations are tested to determine which configuration exhibits optimum heat transfer characteristics. The vertical walls are subjected to a temperature gradient while the horizontal walls are kept insulated. The transport equations are solved using the finite-element formulation based on the Galerkin method of weighted residuals. The validity of the numerical code used is ascertained by comparing the results with previously published results. The importance of non-Darcian effects on convection in a trapezoidal enclosure is analyzed in this work. Different flow models for porous media, such as Brinkman-extended Darcy, Forchheimer-extended Darcy, and the generalized flow models, are considered. Results are presented in terms of streamlines, isotherms, and average heat transfer. The implications of Rayleigh number, inclination angle, porosity, Darcy number, and the ratio of solid thermal conductivity to the fluid thermal conductivity on the flow structure and heat transfer characteristics are investigated in detail.