Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to apply the incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (ISPH) method to simulate the natural convection flow from an inner heated Y-fin inside Y-shaped enclosure filled with nanofluid.
Design/methodology/approach
The dimensionless governing partial differential equations are described in the Lagrangian form and solved by an implicit scheme of the ISPH method. The embedded Y-fin is kept at a high temperature T-h with variable heights during the simulations. The lower area of Y-shaped enclosure is squared with width L = 1 m and its side-walls are kept at a low temperature T-c. The upper area of the Y-shaped enclosure is V-shaped with width 0.5 L for each side and its walls are adiabatic.
Findings
The performed simulations revealed that the height of the inner heated Y-fin plays an important role in the heat transfer and fluid flow inside the Y-shaped enclosure, where it enhances the heat transfer. Rayleigh number augments the buoyancy force inside the Y-shaped enclosure and, consequently, it has a strong impact on temperature distributions and strength of the fluid flow inside Y-shaped enclosure. Adding more concentration of the nanofluid until 10% has a slight effect on the temperature distributions and it reduces the strength of the fluid flow inside Y-shaped enclosure. In addition, the average Nusselt number is measured along the inner heated Y-fin and it grows as the Rayleigh number increases. The average Nusselt number is decreasing by adding more concentrations of the nanofluid.
Originality/value
An improved ISPH method is used to simulate the natural convection flow of Y-fin embedded in the Y-shaped enclosure filled with a nanofluid.