Abstract

This study explores natural convection heat transfer and fluid flow from a vertical plate in a radiating gas accounting for real gas spectral behavior. Finite volume techniques are used to solve the coupled nonlinear partial differential equations for mass, momentum, and energy conservation, while radiation transfer is modeled using the Discrete Ordinates finite volume finite angle method. Real gas spectral behavior is accounted for using the Rank Correlated Spectral Line Weighted-sum-of-gray-gases method. It is found that gas temperature and velocity are higher in the boundary layer, thickening the thermal and hydrodynamic boundary layers compared to the limiting case of pure convection. Gas species and concentration significantly impact boundary layer development, affecting radiative heating, temperature, velocity, and wall heat fluxes. Wall radiation transport dominates over convective transport. Increasing the wall temperature for the same wall-quiescent surroundings temperature difference increases local radiative heating, temperature, and velocity, and results in higher wall heat fluxes. As Rayleigh number increases, convection gains importance relative to radiation. Higher total gas pressures moderately increase radiative heating, temperature, and velocity, while reducing wall heat fluxes and convective transport. Increased wall emissivity raises radiative heating, temperature, and velocity, while raising wall heat flux and reducing convective flux. It is concluded that the neglect of participating gas radiation effects can result in significant errors in the predicted flow and thermal behavior, and the total transport. These insights advance understanding of radiation-convection interplay in radiating gas scenarios.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering; Mechanical Engineering

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/