Turbulent natural convection combined with entropy generation in a nanofluid cavity with non-uniformly heated side walls

Abstract

The two-dimensional turbulent natural convection and entropy generation within an alumina-water nanoliquid chamber in the presence of sinusoidal temperature profiles at vertical walls is calculated. The considered process has been modelled using the RANS (Reynoldsaveraged Navier-Stokes) approach for turbulent regime and Boussinesq approximation for the buoyancy force. The control equations written using the non-dimensional stream function, vorticity and temperature variables combined with parameters of standard κ-ϵ turbulence model have been solved by the finite difference method with non-uniform computational mesh. The special algebraic transformation has been used for an introduction of the non-uniform mesh in physical domain. The influence of the nano-sized particles concentration and Rayleigh number on the nanofluid circulation and energy transport patterns has been examined.