A NUMERICAL STUDY OF 3-DIMENSIONAL LAMINAR NATURAL-CONVECTION IN A VENTED ENCLOSURE

A three-dimensional numerical investigation of steady laminar natural convection in vented enclosures is carried out. A discrete flush-type heat source mounted on the substrate is used to simulate an electronic component. Four different Vent locations are investigated. Combined n atural convection in the air and conduction in the heat source, the su bstrate, and the enclosure walls are solved. Solutions are obtained fu r Rayleigh numbers ranging from 10(4) to 10(6), different substrate th ermal conductivity ratios, and varied vent sizes. The calculation doma in is extended beyond the cubic enclosure in x-, y-, and z-directions. Appropriate boundary conditions are prescribed an the extended comput ational domain. The resulting flow and temperature patterns are discus sed. Also, the local and overall heat transfer from the heat source an d the substrate, in terms of Nusselt numbers and the surface temperatu res, are presented to illustrate the vent effects. (C) 1997 by Elsevie r Science Inc.