Influence of thermal boundary conditions on natural convection in a square enclosure partially heated from below

Natural convection in air-filled 2D square enclosure heated with a constant source from below and cooled from above is studied numerically for a variety of thermal boundary conditions at the top and sidewalls. Simulations are performed for two kinds of lengths of the heated source, i.e., a small and a large source corresponding to 20% and 80% of the total length of the bottom wall, respectively. The Rayleigh number varied from 1 03 to 107. Results are presented in the form of streamline and isotherm plots as well as the variation of the Nusselt number and maximum temperature at the heat source surface. Comparisons among the different thermal configurations considered are reported. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.