Natural convection heat transfer simulation using energy conservative dissipative particle dynamics

Dissipative particle dynamics with energy conservation (eDPD) was used to study natural convection via Rayleigh-Benard (RB) problem and a differentially heated enclosure problem (DHE). The current eDPD model implemented the Boussinesq approximation to model the buoyancy forces. The eDPD results were compared to the finite volume solutions and it was found that the eDPD method predict the temperature and flow fields throughout the natural convection domains properly. The eDPD model recovered the basic features of natural convection, such as development of plumes, development of thermal boundary layers, and development of natural convection circulation cells (rolls). The eDPD results were presented via temperature isotherms, streamlines, velocity contours, velocity vector plots, and temperature and velocity profiles. Further useful quantities, such as Nusselt number was calculated from the eDPD results and found to be in good agreement with the finite volume calculations.