A validated computational model was created to simulate the heat transfer from a heated surface using liquid metals and alloys during conjugate heat transfer. This model explores the effect of the Rayleigh number, Prandtl number, thermal conductivity ratio, and aspect ratio on the Nusselt number along the hot surface. The data will show how to keep the temperature sensitive components along the hot wall cool by maximizing the amount of heat removed from the hot wall. The data show three distinct regions that occur as a function of the Rayleigh number for a fixed $k∗$ and $d∗$. The data also show that the thermal conductivity ratio between the fluid and the solid conducting block has little effect on the Nusselt number at a fixed Rayleigh number. However, when examining the effect of the aspect ratio on the Nusselt number, two distinct regions can be seen. The results demonstrate that in order to keep the temperature sensitive components cool along the hot wall, one would want to have large Rayleigh and Prandtl numbers. The easiest way to achieve large Rayleigh numbers is by increasing the height of the enclosure. Large Prandtl numbers can be achieved by choosing a fluid that is highly conductive. In addition, the choice of material for the center solid conducting block does not impact the amount of heat removed from the hot wall. However, increased cooling can be achieved by decreasing the spacing between the hot and the cold wall.

1.
Kakac
,
S.
,
Aung
,
A.
, and
Viskanta
,
R.
, 1985,
Natural Convection: Fundamentals and Applications
,
Hemisphere
,
New York
.
2.
Yang
,
K. T.
, 1987,
Handbook of Single Phase Convective Heat Transfer
,
Wiley
,
New York
.
3.
Gebhart
,
B.
,
Jaluria
,
Y.
,
Mahajan
,
R. L.
, and
Sammakia
,
B.
, 1988,
Buoyancy Induced Flows and Transport
,
Hemisphere
,
New York
.
4.
Bejan
,
A.
, 1995,
Convective Heat Transfer
,
Wiley
,
New York
.
5.
Emery
,
A. F.
, 1969, “
Exploratory Studies of Free Convection Heat Transfer Through an Enclosed Vertical Liquid Layer With a Vertical Baffle
,”
ASME J. Heat Transfer
0022-1481,
91
, pp.
163
165
.
6.
House
,
J. M.
,
Beckermann
,
C.
, and
Smith
,
T. F.
, 1990, “
Effect of a Centered Conducting Body on Natural Convection Heat Transfer in an Enclosure
,”
Numer. Heat Transfer, Part A
1040-7782,
18
, pp.
213
225
.
7.
Merrikh
,
A. A.
, and
Lage
,
J. L.
, 2005, “
Natural Convection in an Enclosure With Disconnected and Conducting Solid Blocks
,”
Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer
0017-9310,
48
, pp.
1361
1372
.
8.
Oh
,
J. Y.
,
Ha
,
M. Y.
, and
Kim
,
K. C.
, 1997, “
Numerical Study of Heat Transfer and Flow of Natural Convection in an Enclosure With Heat-Generating Conducting Body
,”
Numer. Heat Transfer, Part A
1040-7782,
31
, pp.
289
303
.
9.
Ha
,
M. Y.
,
Jung
,
M. J.
, and
Kim
,
Y. S.
, 1999, “
Numerical Study on Transient Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow of Natural Convection in an Enclosure With A Heat-Generating Body
,”
Numer. Heat Transfer, Part A
1040-7782,
35
, pp.
415
433
.
10.
Bhave
,
P.
,
Narasimhan
,
A.
, and
Rees
,
D. A.
, 2006, “
Natural Convection Heat Transfer Enhancement Using Adiabatic Block: Optimal Block Size and Prandtl Number Effect
,”
Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer
0017-9310,
49
, pp.
3807
3818
.
11.
Incropera
,
F.
, and
DeWitt
,
D.
, 1996,
Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer
,
Wiley
,
New York
.