Study of natural convection in a closed square cavity

Feasibility study was done on the simulation of heat and momentum transfer in a closed square cavity using CALCOSOFT software. Simulation results were compared with those using finite different methods in literatures. The influences of Rayleigh number on the streamlines, temperature contours, as well as the variations of velocity, temperature and Nusselt numbers were analyzed. While the Rayleigh number was increased from 10(3) to 10(6), the heat transfer mechanism changed from heat conduction to natural convection and boundary layers began to form near the sidewalls. The dimensionless velocity in the centre of the cavity was nearly zero while the dimensionless temperature was 0.5. Simultaneously, the corresponding fitting relationship between Nusselt and Rayleigh numbers was made certain. The consistency between the simulation results and those from literatures suggested that the CALCOSOFT software could provide an alternative for studying the convections in cavities.