SINOPSIS

The present study deals with natural convection flow in an open-ended cavity partially filled with fibrous porous media. The numerical investigations are performed using the lattice Boltzmann method. The considered porous media are formed of random arrangements of square obstacles and simulated in pore scale. The effects of some dominant variables, such as the Rayleigh number, angle of inclination, porosity, and eccentricity of the porous media on the flow field and the cavity heat transfer, are investigated. Results are reported in terms of isotherms, streamlines, and average Nusselt numbers. The numerical results obtained indicate that appropriate use of porous media can enhance the rate of heat transfer. Also, increasing the inclination angle at high Rayleigh number or decreasing the porosity at low Rayleigh number increases the average Nusselt number. Comprehensive discussions on the effectiveness of the porous cavity compared to a nonporous one, in different situations, are also provided.