Numerical Study on Mixed Convection in Porous Media in a Channel With an Open Cavity Below

A numerical analysis of mixed convection in gas saturated metal foam in a horizontal channel with an open cavity heated at uniform heat flux on a vertical wall is studied numerically. Non-local thermal equilibrium and Brinkman-Forchheimer-extended Darcy model are assumed. Boussinesq approximation with constant thermophysical proprieties are considered. Results are carried out for an aluminium foam with 10 PPI and ε = 0.909, the fluid is air and for the assisting case. Results, for different Peclet and Rayleigh numbers, are given in terms of solid and fluid wall temperatures and local Nusselt numbers and stream function and temperature fields. Results show that diffusive effect determined lower temperature values inside the solid and the fluid temperatures are higher in all considered cases. The interaction between the forced flow in the channel and the buoyancy due to the heated wall determines different thermal and fluid dynamic behaviors.