Flow reversal in combined laminar mixed convection heat and mass transfer with phase change in a vertical channel

This paper, deals with a numerical study of the effects of buoyancy forces on an upward, steady state, laminar flow of humid air in a vertical parallel-plate channel. The plates are wetted by a thin liquid water film and maintained at a constant temperature which is lower than that of the air entering the channel. A 2D fully elliptical model, associated with the Boussinesq assumption, is used to take into account axial diffusion. The solution of this mathematical model is based on the finite volume method and the velocity–pressure coupling is handled by the SIMPLER algorithm. Numerical results show that buoyancy forces have a significant effect on the hydrodynamic, thermal and mass fraction fields. Additionally, these forces induce flow reversal for high air temperatures and mass fractions at the channel entrance. It is established that heat transfer associated with phase change is, sometimes, more significant than sensible heat transfer. Furthermore, this importance depends on the mass fraction gradient. The conditions for the existence of flow reversal are presented in charts and analytical expressions specifying the critical thermal Grashof number as a function of the Reynolds number for different values of the solutal Grashof number and different aspect ratios of the channel.