THE INFLUENCE OF APEX ANGLE ON MIXED CONVECTION IN A POROUS SECTOR CHANNEL

Abstract

The influence of apex angle on mixed convection in a horizontal porous sector channel is investigated. The analysis is performed by considering fully- developed hydrodynamically and thermally flow. The governing equations have been solved numerically using finite difference method. The channel is heated from the right surface, and cooled from the left one –both are held at constant temperature- while the top surface is adiabatic. The numerical analysis has been conducted in the following range of parameters: radius of the sector=4, (Pe=20(, (Ra^*=100 and 1000(, the apex angle (Φ=30^o, 60^o, 75^o and 90^o). The results are presented to demonstrate the effect of increasing the apex angle on the streamlines, the isotherms and local Nusselt number. The highest stream function appears in a specified apex angle depending on Ra^*. The local Nusselt number values are decreasing as the apex angle is increasing at (Ra^*=1000), while at (Ra^*=100) its values are increasing as the apex angle is increasing. A correlating equation is suggested to correlate ( (against apex angle (Φ) and (Ra^*( for  )Pe=20(.