Numerical analysis of the effects of temperature dependent fluid property variations on mixed convection heat transfer

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT FLUID PROPERTY VARIATIONS ON MIXED CONVECTION HEAT TRANSFER (M. Sc. Thesis) Orhan ARPA GAZI UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY January 2000 ABSTRACT In this study, the effects of temperature dependent fluid property variations on mixed convection fluid flow in a horizontal, rectangular sectioned channel, were examined numerically. The problem was handled in three dimensions. Fundamental equations, which are continuity, momentum and energy equations, were solved with proper boundary conditions using computational fluid dynamics (CFA) PHOENICS 1.5 Shareware computer program. At first the fluid properties were assumed to be constant and the obtained solutions after this assumption were compared with similar studies from the literature. Later, the problem was solved for the case temperature dependent fluid properties and results were compared with results of the constant property case. In this study the Reynolds number was taken as 250, for modified Grashof numbers 5.0E+6, 2.0E+6 and 1.0E+6, and air was used as the working fluid. Science Code Key words Page Number Adviser 625.04.00 Mixed convection, variable fluid properties 103 Prof. Dr. Mecit SİVRİO?LU