Natural convection of micropolar fluid in a wavy differentially heated cavity

An analysis of natural convective flow and heat transfer of a micropolar fluid in a wavy differentially heated cavity has been performed. Governing partial differential equations formulated in non-dimensional variables have been solved by finite difference method of second order accuracy. The effects of Rayleigh number (Ra = 10(4),10(5),10(6)), Prandtl number (Pr = 0.1, 0.7, 7.0), vortex viscosity parameter (K = 0, 0.1, 0.5, 2.0) and undulation number (kappa = 1, 2,3) on flow patterns, temperature fields and average Nusselt number at hot wavy wall have been studied. It is found that microrotation increases as the vortex viscosity parameter K increases. However, the fluid velocity decreases as K increases. It is observed that the form of streamlines is dependent on the value of vortex viscosity parameter. An increase in the undulation number leads to a decrease in the heat transfer rate at wavy wall. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.