This article illustrates the fundamental features of lateral penetration of natural convection into a horizontal porous layer in lateral communication with a heat reservoir. It is found that the important group governing the fluid mechanics of the phenomenon is the Darcy-modified Rayleigh number Ra based on longitudinal (horizontal) permeability and on transversal (vertical) thermal diffusivity. It is shown that the buoyancy-driven flow has flattened C-shaped streamlines and isotherms. The flow penetrates laterally to a distance of order H Ra1/2, where H is the height of the porous layer. The net heat exchange between the porous structure and the lateral heat reservoir is described by a Nusselt number result of the type Nu ∼ Ra1/2. The effect of horizontal wall temperature gradient on penetration length and heat transfer is discussed. The engineering importance of these findings is illustrated by examples related to the conceptual design of porous winding structures for rotating superconducting electric machines.
Skip Nav Destination
Sign In or Register for Account
Article navigation
Research Papers
Lateral Intrusion of Natural Convection into a Horizontal Porous Structure
Adrian Bejan
Adrian Bejan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309
Search for other works by this author on:
Adrian Bejan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309
J. Heat Transfer. May 1981, 103(2): 237-241 (5 pages)
Published Online: May 1, 1981
Article history
Received:
June 16, 1980
Online:
October 20, 2009
Citation
Bejan, A. (May 1, 1981). "Lateral Intrusion of Natural Convection into a Horizontal Porous Structure." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. May 1981; 103(2): 237–241. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3244447
Download citation file:
Sign In
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
Thermal Transport in Laminar Convective Flow of Ferrofluids in the Presence of External Magnetic Field
J. Heat Transfer (June 2021)
Related Articles
Natural Convection in a Cylindrical Enclosure Filled With Heat Generating Anisotropic Porous Medium
J. Heat Transfer (February,2002)
Natural Convection of Viscoplastic Fluids in a Square Enclosure
J. Heat Transfer (December,2013)
Prediction of Nusselt Number and Flow Rate of Buoyancy Driven Flow Between Vertical Parallel Plates
J. Heat Transfer (February,2004)
Natural Convection Experiments in a Stratified Liquid-Saturated Porous Medium
J. Heat Transfer (August,1986)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Introduction I: Role of Engineering Science
Fundamentals of heat Engines: Reciprocating and Gas Turbine Internal Combustion Engines
Completing the Picture
Air Engines: The History, Science, and Reality of the Perfect Engine
Applications
Introduction to Finite Element, Boundary Element, and Meshless Methods: With Applications to Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow