CVFEM modeling of fluid flow induced by convective heat transfer from a hot pipe buried in soil

In this investigation, fluid flow numerical evaluation induced by convective heat transfer due to a buried hot pipe in the soil is performed. The numerical method implemented is the control volume-based finite element method (CVFEM). The physical domain consists of a circular pipe enclosed in a square cylinder. The temperature of the enclosure upper wall was kept uniform cold while remaining walls were insulated. The research was conducted by fixed non-dimensional parameters, that is, porosity (epsilon), location of pipe (K), Prandtl number (Pr), permeability (K (X, Y)), Darcy number (Da), and the Rayleigh number (Ra). The simulation of porous medium was performed by the application of Brinkman-extended Darcy model. Results are illustrated through isotherm and streamlines. The results depicted that the effect of Darcy on the average Nusselt number (Nu(ave)), at largerRa, is more noticeable. Additionally,Dareduction causes suppression in the fluid flow and, in addition, less heat transfer among the hot pipe and enclosure. The non-homogeneity reduces theNuover the hot pipe. Moreover, the value of pipe location, as well as its radius, significantly affects the pipe heat transferring.