One-Dimensional Model of Natural Convection in Differentially Heated Partitioned Enclosures With Conducting External Walls and Vertical Partitions

Natural convection in partitioned enclosures is extensively investigated due to its importance in many applications. Real enclosures have diffusive walls and partitions. A method has been developed to evaluate the global natural convection Nusselt number for a differentially heated (heated from sides) partitioned enclosure with walls and vertical partitions of finite thickness. A formula has been elaborated, giving the global Nusselt number as a function of the global Rayleigh number, global aspect ratio of the whole enclosure, and two other dimensionless parameters: the conductive thermal resistance ratio and the porosity. After validation of the method by comparison of our results with those from both the literature studies and the numerical simulation, a parametric study is carried out to show the influence of the dimensionless parameters. The method is a helpful tool for thermal engineers and scientists to design such a common system.