Radiation‐natural convection interactions in partitioned cavities

The heat transfer by radiation and natural convection in a two‐dimensional, air‐filled square enclosure with a vertical partition of finite thickness and varying height was investigated numerically in the laminar regime. The horizontal end walls are assumed to be adiabatic, and the vertical walls are at different temperatures. Calculations are made by using a finite volume method and an efficient numerical procedure is introduced for calculating the view factors, with shadow effects included. The results indicate that the partition does not significantly modify the heat transfer rate through the cavity, especially at high Rayleigh numbers, provided that its height is less than 90 per cent of the cavity height. The effects of radiation on the velocity and the temperature fields and the overall heat transfer rates as a function of the widths of the vents, solid/fluid conductivity ratio and Rayleigh number are documented.