Numerical Conjugate Air Mixed Convection/Non-Newtonian Liquid Solidification for Various Cavity Configurations and Rheological Models

Unsteady 2D natural convection/phase change of a non-Newtonian liquid inside a square container caused by external mixed convection of a Newtonian fluid with various cavity configurations has been studied numerically. Air was chosen as external cooling fluid and modified non-Newtonian water as the internal solidifying fluid. Conjugate convective fluid and heat transport, described in terms of non-linear coupled continuity, momentum, and energy equations, were solved by using the finite volume method with the SIMPLE algorithm. Effects of four external fluid inlet/outlet locations and four non-Newtonian rheological models were studied. Results for the time evolution of streamlines, isotherms and freezing curves are analyzed. The effect of the cavity inlet/outlet configuration on streamlines of the external fluid is remarkable, near the region close to the non-Newtonian liquid filled container. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.