EFFECT OF SURFACE RADIATION ON NATURAL-CONVECTION AIR COOLING OF DISCRETE HEATERS IN A VERTICAL ENCLOSURE

This article presents a numerical study concerning effect of surface r adiation on natural convection cooling of four discrete iso-flux heate rs flush-mounted on a Vertical wall of an air-filled (Pr=0.72) rectang ular enclosure. Numerical simulations via a finite difference method h ave been undertaken to examine parametric effects of modified Rayleigh number, heater emissivity, adiabatic surface emissivity, and a radiat ion parameter on the role played by surface radiation in heat dissipat ion from the discrete heaters in an enclosure of aspect ratio 10. Resu lts demonstrate that surface radiation can be a significant cooling me chanism of the enclosed discrete heaters and its effect is a function of modified Rayleigh number, the heater emissivity as well as the radi ation parameter.