Numerical study of partitions effect on multiplicity of solutions in an infinite channel periodically heated from below

Laminar natural convection in an infinite horizontal channel heated periodically from below and provided with thin adiabatic partitions on its lower wall, is investigated numerically. The effect of these partitions on the multiplicity of solutions and heat transfer characteristics in the computational domain is studied. The parameters of the study are the Rayleigh number (102 ⩽ Ra ⩽ 4.9 × 106) and the height of the partitions (0 ⩽ B = h′/H′ ⩽ 1/2). The results obtained in the case of air (Pr = 0.72) as working fluid show that depending on the governing parameters, the existence of multiple solutions is possible. Important differences in terms of heat transfer are observed between two different solutions.