NATURAL-CONVECTION OF A RADIATING FLUID IN A SQUARE ENCLOSURE WITH PERFECTLY CONDUCTING END WALLS

Combined natural convection and radiation in an asymmetrically heated square enclosure is studied numerically with both adiabatic and perfectly conducting end walls. The momentum and energy equations are solved by a control volume based finite difference algorithm which is coupled with the discrete ordinates method for radiative heat transfer calculations. The changes in the flow patterns and temperature distributions due to the presence of radiation in an enclosure with conducting end walls are compared with those for the case of an enclosure with adiabatic end walls, and significant differences are noted. The flow field is stronger, and the heat input along the hot wall and the end walls are greater for the conducting end wall case. The effects of optical thickness, scattering and wall emissivity on the flow and temperature fields and heat transfer rates are analysed.