This study aims to investigate the radiative density-driven convection of nano-encapsulated phase change material (NEPCM) suspensions in a chamber containing a partially porous layer, considering the combined effects of thermal radiation, periodic heat generation, a nonuniform magnetic field and temperature-dependent viscosity.
A numerical approach is used in which the computational domain is divided into a conduction region with oscillatory heat generation and a convection region, with thermal coupling imposed at their interface. Radiative heat transfer in the participating medium is modeled using the discrete ordinates method (DOM). The domain is further partitioned into solid and fluid subdomains, where the governing equations are solved accordingly. The point-in-polygon (PIP) technique is utilized to identify active computational nodes within each region.
The results indicate that the combined effects of periodic heat generation and variable radiative flux significantly alter the thermal field and flow circulation within the subdomains. Oscillatory behavior is observed in both the maximum stream function and thermal performance, with amplitudes increasing as the radiation parameter increases. Additionally, optically thick media enhance heat transfer rates compared to optically thin conditions.
This work provides a comprehensive analysis of coupled radiative, magnetic and thermophysical effects on NEPCM-based natural convection in partially porous configurations, incorporating advanced numerical techniques such as DOM and PIP to accurately capture the complex multiphysics interactions.
