Conjugate transient natural convection in a cylindrical enclosure with internal volumetric heat generation

This paper reports the results of a numerical investigation of transient turbulent natural convection heat transfer from a volumetric energy generating source placed inside a cylindrical enclosure filled with low Prandtl number fluid (liquid sodium, Pr = 0.005). Two-dimensional conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy, coupled with the Boussinesq approximation, are solved using a finite volume based discretisation method employing the SIMPLE algorithm for the pressure velocity coupling. Turbulence is modeled using the k–ε model with physical boundary conditions. The study presents the transient features of confined turbulent natural convection, due to time varying generation of heat in the volumetric source. The intensity of heat source exponentially decays with time and the source is placed over circular plates with a central opening. Results obtained from the numerical model compare favorably with those reported in the literature for steady state natural convection. Numerical simulations are carried out to display the sequential evolution of flow and thermal fields and the maximum temperature reached in the source. The advantages of distributing the heat source on multi trays have been quantified.