[nuclear_swapnil]

Facing big confusion regarding understanding of the flow in enclosure with heat generating strip at the middle.

The strip is placed in the middle of the square enclosure and generating uniform heat. The top and bottom walls are adiabatic and vertical side walls are isothermal at ambient temperature. The temperature profile and velocity profile is similar on both side of the strip but how come the intensity of the contours (stream function) is different on both sides of strip?

For reference providing the stream function, isotherms and velocity magnitude profile.

[FMDenaro]

The solution seems reasonable, is steady (very low Re number?) and symmetric, the temperature field show a stratification. What is strange is that you do not have zero velocity at walls

[nuclear_swapnil]

Originally Posted by FMDenaro

The solution seems reasonable, is steady (very low Re number?) and symmetric, the temperature field show a stratification. What is strange is that you do not have zero velocity at walls

Yes its steady state natural convection problem with high Rayleigh number 10^9. Also, the amount of heat generation is very low as compare to the length of the geometry.

[FMDenaro]

Originally Posted by nuclear_swapnil

Yes its steady state natural convection problem with high Rayleigh number 10^9. Also, the amount of heat generation is very low as compare to the length of the geometry.

and the velocity at the walls??

[nuclear_swapnil]

Originally Posted by FMDenaro

and the velocity at the walls??

At the wall velocity is zero. I have scaled up the vectors for better view therefore it shows flow at the wall but actually it is near the wall.

[FMDenaro]

Ok, then I don't see problems in the solution...just consider to do the grid refinement study to assess convergence of the solution

[nuclear_swapnil]

Originally Posted by FMDenaro

Ok, then I don't see problems in the solution...just consider to do the grid refinement study to assess convergence of the solution

Actually, there is no problem in the solution but the understanding of the stream function in the enclosure, which is not uniform inside the enclosure. If you check the stream function contours, it is more intense on one side of the heat generating strip as compare to other side. How come this is possible?

[FMDenaro]

could you plot the contour lines instead of the shaded contour? I suggest to superimpose the streamline contours to the vector plot....when two streamlines are close, the velocity is greater than when they are more far..