Numerical investigation of natural convection with heated tubes in tunnel greenhouse
1Energetic Physics Laboratory, Exact Sciences Faculty, Frères Mentouri Constantine 1 University, Algeria
2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Akli Mohand Oulhadj University, Bouira, Algeria
J Ther Eng 2021; 7(4): 731-745 DOI: 10.18186/thermal.915149
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Abstract

In this research, a numerical study was carried out on heat transfer by natural convection, in a closed tunnel greenhous e, in the range of the Rayleigh number (10 3 ≤Ra≤10 6 ). Were considered in the study, the number of heating tubes used (1≤N t ≤7), which were equidistant inside the greenhouse volume, when the bottom at an average temperature and cold Roof. The governing equations written in a bicylindrical coordinates were discretized using the finite volume method and vorticity stream function formulation; the resulting algebraic equations were solved using successive over relaxation method (S.O.R). First, the effect of the Rayleigh number on heat transfer was examined for a fixed number of tubes as reference (N t 3) and the number of tubes was varied to investigate the influence on heat transfer in the greenhouse. Finally, the results obtained were summarized in the form of isotherms and streamlines, and for the avera ge Nusselt number profile; in addition to the horizontal and vertical velocities and temperatures. However, in the reference case, for low Rayleigh numbers, the heat transfer is dominated by pure conduction. With the increase of the Rayleigh number and the number of tubes N t , the natural convection becomes more dominant and the heat transfer increases, and in general the heat transfer increase with the increasing number of tubes.