Numerical Analysis of the Conjugate Convection in an Open Cavity with and Without an Obstruction Inside

Conjugate mixed convection due to the steady state heat transfer and the incoming fluid dynamics inside a two-dimensional square cavity is studied numerically for a Reynolds number of 400. The boundary of the left side of the cavity is a hot thick wall. The other three sides are bounded by adiabatic walls. In order to investigate the effect of a solid body on the conjugate heat transfer, a circular obstruction is placed at the centre of the cavity. The fluid inlets are at the lateral lower left wall, and the exits are located at the lateral upper right wall. The analysis is carried out for different ratios between the solid and fluid thermal conductivities. The governing equations of continuity, momentum and energy for incompressible flow are solved by the finite element method combined with the splitting operator scheme. The temperature field, the streamlines, the velocity and the pressure field are studied, and the axial velocity profiles are analysed as a function of the transversal position. It is observed that an obstruction placed inside the cavity plays a major role on vortex formation and on the thermal behaviour of the flow inside the cavity.