Buoyancy Induced Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow inside a Prismatic Cavity

This paper deals with a numerical simulation of natural convection flows in a prismatic cavity. This configuration represents solar energy collectors, conventional attic spaces of greenhouses and buildings with pitched roofs. The third dimension of the cavity is considered long enough for the flow to be considered 2D. The base is submitted to a uniform heat flux, the two top inclined walls are symmetrically cooled and the two vertical walls are assumed to be perfect thermal insulators. The aim of the study is to examine the thermal exchange by natural convection and effectsof buoyancy forces on flow structure. The study provides useful information on the flow structure sensitivity to the governing parameters, the Rayleigh number (Ra) and the aspect ratio of the cavity. The hydrodynamic and thermal fields, the local Nusselt number, the temperature profile at the bottom and at the center of the cavity are investigated for a large range of Ra. The effect of the aspect ratio is examined for different values of Ra. Based on the authors’ knowledge, no previous results on natural convection in this geometry exist.