Mixed convection heat transfer in two-dimensional open-ended enclosures

Mixed convection heat transfer in open-ended enclosures has been studied numerically for three different flow angles of attack. Discretization of the governing equations is achieved using a finite element scheme based on the Galerkin method of weighted residuals. Comparisons with previously published work on special cases of the problem are performed and the results show excellent agreement. A wide range of pertinent parameters such as Grashof number, Reynolds number, and the aspect ratio are considered in the present study. The obtained results show that thermal insulation of the cavity can be achieved through the use of high horizontal velocity flow. Various results for the streamlines, isotherms and the heat transfer rates in terms of the average Nusselt number are presented and discussed for different parametric values. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.