COMBINED HEAT AND MASS-TRANSFER BY NATURAL-CONVECTION IN A SATURATED THERMALLY STRATIFIED POROUS-MEDIUM

A numerical study is presented for the combined heat and mass transfer by natural convection adjacent to a vertical surface embedded in a st ably thermally stratified, fluid-saturated low-porosity medium. A wide range of thermal stratification levels is considered inflows with bot h aiding and opposing buoyant forces. The thermal stratification was s hown to have a profound influence on the heat and mass transfer rates and on the direction of flow and transport. The underlying physical ph enomena are explained while providing the Nusselt and Sherwood number data.