Mixed convection flow in single- and double-lid driven square cavities filled with water-Al2O3 nanofluid: Effect of viscosity models

This work is focused on the numerical modeling of steady laminar mixed convection flow in single and double-lid square cavities filled with a water-Al2O3 nanofluid. Two viscosity models are used to approximate nanofluid viscosity, namely, the Brinkman model and the Pak and Cho correlation. The developed equations are given in terms of the stream function-vorticity formulation and are non-dimensionalized and then solved numerically by a second-order accurate finite-volume method. Comparisons with previously published work are performed and found to be in good agreement. A parametric study is conducted and a selective set of graphical results is presented and discussed to illustrate the effects of the presence of nanoparticles and the Richardson number on the flow and heat transfer characteristics in both cavity configurations and to compare the predictions obtained by the two different nanofluid models. It is found that significant heat transfer enhancement can be obtained due to the presence of nanoparticles and that this is accentuated by increasing the nanoparticle volume fractions at moderate and large Richardson numbers using both nanofluid models for both single- and double-lid cavity configurations. However, for small Richardson number, the Pak and Cho model predicts that the presence of nanoparticle causes reductions in the average Nusselt number in the single-lid cavity configuration. (C) 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.