Fluid-structure interaction of a hot flexible thin plate inside an enclosure

This study aims to assess the natural convection heat transfer in a square cavity wherein the buoyancy-induced flow is generated by a thin flexible heater-plate inside the cavity. The vertical walls of the cavity are cold and the horizontal walls are adiabatic. The thin hot plate is assumed to be isothermal and fixed at an alterable point in the middle of the cavity with different inclination angles. To analysis the fluid-structure interaction (FSI), the finite element method along with the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) technique is employed. Isotherms and streamlines, as well as the average Nusselt number, the dimensionless temperature in the cavity, and the maximum applied stress on the flexible plate, are studied. The results are presented as a function of Rayleigh number, Prandtl number, inclination angle, and different positions of the fixed point. The outcomes indicate the importance of the inclination angle and the position of the fixed point of the hot plate. The plate experiences significantly large values of stress when it is mounted horizontally. In the case of a plate fixed at its top, the highest stress occurs with an inclination angle of 40 degrees. In contrast, the lowest stress is associated with the plate when it is positioned vertically.