Modeling and CFD Simulation of a Mixed‐Convection Flow of Regular Fluids and Nanofluids in Vertical Porous and Regular Channels

In this article, the problem of combined forced and free convection in vertical porous and regular channels for both regular fluids and nanofluids has been solved using the CFD technique in the entrance regions of momentum and heat transfer taking into account the influences of viscous heating and inertial force. In this regard, various types of viscous dissipation models reported in the literature such as the Darcy model, the power of the drag force model, and the clear fluid‐compatible model were applied. In the case of nanofluid flow, both the Brownian and thermophoresis molecular transfer mechanisms were considered. The dimensionless distributions of velocity, temperature, and the volume fraction of nanoparticles were determined in terms of corresponding dimensionless numbers such as the Grashof, Reynolds, Forchheimer, Brinkman, and Darcy numbers. The predicted results were validated using fully‐developed distributions of velocity and temperature. In addition, the influences of the Grashof number value on the temperature and velocity distributions in the entrance and fully‐developed regions were examined carefully. In addition, temperature and velocity distributions of nanofluids and regular fluids in porous and regular channels were compared. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 43(3): 243–269, 2014; Published online 30 September 2013 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj). DOI 10.1002/htj.21079