Simulation of heat transfer and fluid flow in 3D porous media in non-equilibrium

A study of the laminar free convection in a cubic cavity 3D partially porous media is conducted numerically. The Brinkman-Darcy model with the Boussinesq approximation is used to characterize the flow field inside the porous region, while the local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) model are employed for energy equations. A numerical methodology based on the finite volume method and a full multigrid technique is employed. The effects of various parameters; the thermal conductivity ratio (gamma) and the thickness of the porous layer (e) on the flow patterns are analyzed. The numerical outcome of the present study shows that, the non-equilibrium (LTNE) model and the thickness of porous layer (e) modifiers substantially the flow characteristics and the transfers thermal.