Fluid Structure Interaction Analysis of Natural Convective Flow and Heat Transfer in an L-Shaped Cavity

Abstract

The primary objective of this research work is to perform a numerical study on the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) of flow and heat transfer characteristics within an L-shaped cavity. The investigation will focus on analyzing the effects of various key variables, namely the Rayleigh number and wall elasticity, on the observed results. To accomplish this, the COMSOL software, which utilizes the finite element method, will be employed as the numerical simulation tool. To ensure the reliability and credibility of the obtained results, the findings of this research were rigorously validated against previously published data available in the literature. The outcomes of this investigation were presented using various visualization techniques. Streamlines, temperature contours, and heat transfer enhancement will be among the visual representations used to illustrate the flow and temperature distribution within the L-shaped cavity. Anticipated results indicated that the calculations of the average Nusselt number exhibited a strong dependency on the Rayleigh number and the wall elasticity. As such, the average Nusselt number was higher for flexible wall compared to rigid wall model. Moreover, the average Nusselt number was found to increase with an increase in Rayleigh number. Young’s modulus was found to have a profound effect on the patterns of the streamlines. The average Nusselt number was found to decrease with an increase in the Young’s modulus. This study may provide valuable insights into optimizing heat transfer and designing efficient thermal management systems for various practical applications.