Natural Convection and Entropy Generation in Enclosures
Summary
Natural convection in enclosures arises when thermal buoyancy induces fluid motion within a confined volume, leading to heat transfer that is governed by the interplay of temperature gradients, geometry and fluid properties. Such flows are ubiquitous in engineering applications, ranging from electronics cooling and solar energy collectors to building ventilation and metallurgical processes. Entropy generation analysis, based on the second law of thermodynamics, serves as a vital tool to quantify irreversibility in these systems and to identify design strategies that minimise wasted work potential. Key dimensionless parameters—such as the Rayleigh and Prandtl numbers—govern the onset and intensity of convective cells, while the Nusselt number characterises overall heat transfer performance. Advances in numerical modelling have enabled detailed mapping of local entropy generation hotspots and the evaluation of complex effects, including the presence of nanofluids, porous media and magnetic fields. By linking fundamental insights with practical considerations, this research domain continues to inform the development of more energy-efficient thermal systems worldwide.
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Natural Convection and Entropy Generation in Enclosures publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in natural convection and entropy generation in enclosures across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Natural convection: Fluid motion induced by buoyancy forces arising from temperature-dependent density variations.
Entropy generation: A measure of irreversibility in a thermal system, reflecting lost work potential due to heat transfer and fluid friction.
Rayleigh number: Dimensionless quantity expressing the ratio of buoyancy to viscous and thermal damping forces in a convective flow.
Nusselt number: Dimensionless ratio of convective to conductive heat transfer across a boundary.
Bejan number: Dimensionless indicator of the relative importance of thermal entropy generation versus viscous entropy generation.
References
- Natural Convection and Entropy Generation in Nanofluid Filled Entrapped Trapezoidal Cavities under the Influence of Magnetic Field. Entropy (2016).
- Natural convection heat transfer for adiabatic circular cylinder inside trapezoidal enclosure filled with nanofluid superposed porous-nanofluid layer. FME Transaction (2020).
- Time Evolution Features of Entropy Generation Rate in Turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard Convection with Mixed Insulating and Conducting Boundary Conditions. Entropy (2020).
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