Numerical study of surface radiation and combined natural convection heat transfer in a solar cavity receiver
International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow
ISSN: 0961-5539
Article publication date: 2 October 2017
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the numerical solutions of surface radiation and combined natural convection heat transfer in a solar cavity receiver. The paper aims to discuss sundry issues that take place in the said model.
Design/methodology/approach
The numerical solutions are developed by means of second-order upwind scheme using the SIMPLE algorithm.
Findings
The effects of physical factors such as Rayleigh number (104 ≤ Ra ≤ 106), inclination angels of insulated walls (0º ≤ θ ≤ 10º) and the wall surface emissivity (0 ≤ ε ≤ 1) on natural convection-surface radiation heat transfer rate are analyzed. Impact of sundry parameters on flow quantities are discussed and displayed via graphs and tables. Stream lines and isothermal lines have also been drawn in the region of cavity. The numerical results reveal that increasing the Rayleigh number, wall surface emissivity and inclination angels of insulated walls in an open cavity enhances the mean total Nusselt number. The variations of the surface radiation and natural convection heat transfer mean Nusselt numbers are very small to the inclination angle of θ, while a significant change is noted for the case of Rayleigh number and emissivity.
Originality/value
To the best of authors’ knowledge, this model is reported for the first time.
Keywords
Citation
Milani Shirvan, K., Mamourian, M., Mirzakhanlari, S., Rahimi, A.B. and Ellahi, R. (2017), "Numerical study of surface radiation and combined natural convection heat transfer in a solar cavity receiver", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 27 No. 10, pp. 2385-2399. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-10-2016-0419
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited