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Comparative analysis of two numerical methods for simulation of unsteady natural convection and thermal surface radiation within a differentially heated cubical cavity has been carried out. The considered domain of interest had two isothermal opposite vertical faces, while other walls are adiabatic. The walls surfaces were diffuse and gray, namely, their directional spectral emissivity and absorptance do not depend on direction or wavelength but can depend on surface temperature. For the reflected radiation we had two approaches such as: 1) the reflected radiation is diffuse, namely, an intensity of the reflected radiation in any point of the surface is uniform for all directions; 2) the reflected radiation is uniform for each surface of the considered enclosure. Mathematical models formulated both in primitive variables “velocity–pressure” and in transformed variables “vector potential functions – vorticity vector” have been performed numerically using finite volume method and finite difference methods, respectively. It should be noted that radiative heat transfer has been analyzed using the net-radiation method in Poljak approach.

Using primitive variables and finite volume method for the considered boundary-value problem we applied power-law for an approximation of convective terms and central differences for an approximation of diffusive terms. The difference motion and energy equations have been solved using iterative method of alternating directions. Definition of the pressure field associated with velocity field has been performed using SIMPLE procedure.

Using transformed variables and finite difference method for the considered boundary-value problem we applied monotonic Samarsky scheme for convective terms and central differences for diffusive terms. Parabolic equations have been solved using locally one-dimensional Samarsky scheme. Discretization of elliptic equations for vector potential functions has been conducted using symmetric approximation of the second-order derivatives. Obtained difference equation has been solved by successive over-relaxation method. Optimal value of the relaxation parameter has been found on the basis of computational experiments.

As a result we have found the similar distributions of velocity and temperature in the case of these two approaches for different values of Rayleigh number, that illustrates an operability of the used techniques. The efficiency of transformed variables with finite difference method for unsteady problems has been shown.

Mathematical simulation of natural convection and surface radiation in a square air enclosure having isothermal vertical walls with a local heat source of constant temperature has been carried out. Mathematical model has been formulated on the basis of the dimensionless variables such as stream function, vorticity and temperature by using the Boussinesq approximation and diathermancy of air. Distributions of streamlines and isotherms reflecting an effect of Rayleigh number $ 10^3 \leqslant Ra \leqslant 10^6 $, surface emissivity $0 \leqslant ε < 1$, ratio between the length of heat source and the size of enclosure $0.2 \leqslant l/L \leqslant 0.6$ and dimensionless time $0 \leqslant τ \leqslant 100$ on fluid flow and heat transfer have been obtained. Correlations for the average heat transfer coefficient in dependence on $Ra$, $ε$ and $l/L$ have been ascertained.

Mathematical simulation of unsteady natural convection and thermal surface radiation within a rotating square enclosure was performed. The considered domain of interest had two isothermal opposite walls subjected to constant low and high temperatures, while other walls are adiabatic. The walls were diffuse and gray. The considered cavity rotated with constant angular velocity relative to the axis that was perpendicular to the cavity and crossed the cavity in the center. Mathematical model, formulated in dimensionless transformed variables “stream function – vorticity” using the Boussinesq approximation and diathermic approach for the medium, was performed numerically using the finite difference method. The vorticity dispersion equation and energy equation were solved using locally one-dimensional Samarskii scheme. The diffusive terms were approximated by central differences, while the convective terms were approximated using monotonic Samarskii scheme. The difference equations were solved by the Thomas algorithm. The approximated Poisson equation for the stream function was solved by successive over-relaxation method. Optimal value of the relaxation parameter was found on the basis of computational experiments. Radiative heat transfer was analyzed using the net-radiation method in Poljak approach. The developed computational code was tested using the grid independence analysis and experimental and numerical results for the model problem.

Numerical analysis of unsteady natural convection and thermal surface radiation within the rotating enclosure was performed for the following parameters: Ra = 10³–10⁶, Ta = 0–10⁵, Pr = 0.7, ε = 0–0.9. All distributions were obtained for the twentieth complete revolution when one can find the periodic behavior of flow and heat transfer. As a result we revealed that at low angular velocity the convective flow can intensify but the following growth of angular velocity leads to suppression of the convective flow. The radiative Nusselt number changes weakly with the Taylor number.

Numerical analysis of the effects of the local heat source shape on transient natural convection in a square enclosure has been carried out. The local heat source has rectangular, triangular and trapezoidal shape. The boundary value problem formulated in the dimensionless variables such as stream function, vorticity and temperature by using the Boussinesq approximation has been solved by means of finite difference method. Distributions of streamlines and isotherms and time dependences for the average Nusselt number along the heat source surface in a wide range of governing parameters have been obtained.