EFFECT OF THICK HORIZONTAL PARTIAL PARTITION ATTACHED TO ONE OF THE ACTIVE WALLS OF A DIFFERENTIALLY HEATED SQUARE CAVITY

The effect of a partial horizontal partition plate of finite thickness , attached to the heated vertical wall of a differentially heated squa re cavity, has been studied numerically using the finite element metho d. The partition thickness is varied from 0.5% of the height of the ca vity to 10%. The partition is considered to be located at the middle o f the hot wall of a width equivalent to 20% of the cavity width. It is observed that as the partition thickness is reduced, heat transfer ac ross the cavity decreases at first, until a critical thickness of the partition plate is reached. Beyond this value, heat transfer increases as the thickness of the partition is further reduced. Streamline maps are found to be notably sensitive to the partition thickness. The eff ect of conductivity of the partition material on heat transfer is also studied. Except for material with poor thermal properties, conductivi ty of the partition is observed to have a negligible effect on heat tr ansfer.