Numerical Analysis of Mixed Convection in a Ventilated Square Cavity Containing a Circular Heat-Generating Cylinder

This work aims to investigate the complex phenomenon of mixed convection in a vented cavity containing a circular heat-generating cylinder, which holds significant relevance for electronic device cooling applications. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive numerical study is conducted using the finite volume technique. The mathematical model is discretized, and the resulting equations are solved numerically employing a dedicated numerical code based on the SIMPLE algorithm. In this study, the effects of various parameters on the flow and thermal field are examined. These parameters include the Richardson number \((0.1\le Ri\le 10)\) , Reynolds number \((50\le Re\le 500)\) , thermal conductivity ratios \((0.1\le K\le 100)\) , and cylinder position. The Prandtl number is fixed at 0.71, and the cylinder diameter is set at 0.4. It is found that the Reynolds number plays a significant role in influencing the flow patterns. Increasing the Reynolds number leads to enhanced cooling effectiveness of the circular cylinder. This suggests that higher flow rates contribute to better heat transfer and improved cooling performance. Additionally, the investigation demonstrates that an increase in thermal conductivity ratios yields substantial improvements in the overall performance of the cooling system.