Nu-Ra correlations for natural convection at high Ra numbers in air-filled tilted hemispherical cavities with dome oriented upwards. Disk submitted to constant heat flux

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose correlations between Nusselt and Rayleigh numbers for the case of inclined and closed air-filled hemispherical cavities. The disk of such cavities is subjected to a constant heat flux. The study covers a wide range of Rayleigh numbers from 5×107 to 2.55×1012. Design/methodology/approach – Correlations are obtained from numerical approach validated by experimental measurements on some configurations, valid for several angles of inclination of the cavity between 0° (horizontal disk) and 90° (vertical disk) in steps of 15°. Findings – The statistical analysis of a large number of calculations leads to reliable results covering laminar, transitional and turbulent natural convection heat transfer zones. Practical implications – The proposed correlations provide solutions for applications in several fields of engineering such as solar energy, aerospace, building, safety and security. Originality/value – The new relations proposed are the first published for high Rayleigh numbers for this type of geometry. They supplement the knowledge of natural convection in hemispherical inclined cavities and constitute a useful tool for application in various engineering areas as solar energy (thermal collector, still, pyranometer, albedometer, pyrgeometer), aerospace (embarked electronics), building, safety and security (controlling and recording sensors).