Numerical study of natural convection from a heat generating element using a locally divergence free FEM and comparison with experiment

A locally divergence free numerical scheme based on a hybrid finite element-finite volume method together with a restricted domain approach is used for the numerical solution of laminar conjugate natural convection in a vertical channel containing a short planar heat generating element. Numerical simulations have been carried out for modified Rayleigh numbers in the range 1 × 105–8.1 × 107. The numerically evaluated temperature rise above the ambient of the heat generating element is found to agree well with experimental data. A correlation for dimensionless temperature rise as a function of dimensionless volumetric heat generation is presented. Natural convection, Hybrid FEM-FVM method, Restricted domain approach, Volumetric heat generation.