• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.252-263
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• 1997

Steady-state two-dimensional natural convective heat transfer in horizontal cylindrical annuli was studied by solving the governing equations based on the primitive variables. Emphasis was put on the occurrence of the multiple solutions at a given set of parameter values, and on the determination of the bifurcation points at which those multiple solutions begin to branch out. The multicellular flow pattern from the results of melting process in an isothermally heated horizontal cylinder for high Rayleigh numbers, was used as initial guesses for the field variables. This was succeeded in new bifurcation point to tetracellular solutions for an identical set of parameter variables of previous works. The close examination of flow pattern transition around bifurcation point was also conducted. It was found that the mechanisms of flow transition are different depending on the critical Rayleigh number of bifurcation point.

• Solar Energy
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.86-97
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• 1987

Natural convection in the annulus between a horizontal conducting tube and a cylinder with spacers has been studied by 2-dimensional numerical method with finite difference techniques. The effects of Rayleigh number, conductivities of conducting tube and spacer, and position of spacers were studied analytically. In case of vertical spacers, the maximum local Nusselt number appears at ${\theta}{\approx}50^{\circ}$ in a conducting tube and ${\theta}{\approx}30^{\circ}$ in an outer cylinder, The local Nusselt numbers show positive values on the lower spacer, but negative values on the surface of the upper spacer. In case of horizontal spacers, the flow over the spacer is more active than that of under the spacer as the Rayleigh number increases. The maximum local Nusselt appeares at ${\theta}=180^{\circ}$ in a conducting tube and at ${\theta}=0^{\circ}$ in an outer cylinder. The local Nusselt numbers show positive values on the upward surface, but negative values on the downward surface of spacer. As the dimensionless conductivity increases, the mean Nusselt number remarkably increases at $K_w/K_f<48$ and show almost even at $K_w/K_f{\ge}48$. The mean Nusselt number of a conducting tube with vertical spacers is 5.12 percent less and with horizontal spacers is 11.33 percent less than that of a conducting tube without spacer at $Ra=10^4$, Pr = 0.7 and $K_w/K_f=48$.