Transition of free convection flow inside an inclined parallel walled channel: Effects of inclination angle and width of the channel

Transition of free convection flow in an inclined parallel walled channel has been investigated numerically by employing k-epsilon turbulent model. Particular attention is paid on how the inclination angle and width of the channel affect the transition process of the flow developing in the channel. The upper plate of the channel is heated isothermally and facing downward, while the lower one is kept under the adiabatic condition. The inclination angle of the channel is varied from 00 to 85 with respect to its vertical position while the distance separating the two plates is systematically reduced from 0.45 to 0.06 m. Distributions of velocity, turbulent kinetic energy and local heat flux are presented to examine the critical distance and the results obtained show good agreement with experimental data available in the literature. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.