Abstract
This investigation addresses a systematic numerical method based on the finite volume method and a full multigrid technique to study three-dimensional flow structures and heat transfer rates in partially heated 3D enclosures. The heating occurs with a central heated strip on a large vertical wall and the opposite vertical wall is cooled to a uniform low temperature. The remaining surfaces are thermally insulated. Two different fluids: one air (Pr = 0.7) and the other water (Pr = 6.8) are employed encompassing descriptive Rayleigh numbers Ra bounded by 10(3) and 10(7). Typical sets of streamlines and isotherms are presented to analyze the intricate circulatory flow patterns set up by the buoyancy force of the fluids. Monomial correlations are presented for the quantification of the total heat transfer in harmony with the prevalent Rayleigh numbers for the two dissimilar working fluids.