A Numerical Study on Transient Heat Transfer in a Vertical Porous Layer

Abstract

The transient characteristics of heat transfer in a vertical porous layer were examined analytically. The natural convection depending on the geometric aspect-ratio H/W (height to width of the porous layer), the porosity and the physical properties of porous media played an important role in the evaluation of the transient characteristics of heat transfer in the porous layer. That is, the natural convection had the effects of shortening the time period until a steady state of the porous layer was reached and the porous layer was homogenized thermally. By managing the intensity of natural convection with a proper combination of porous media and the dimension of porous layer, it would be possible to obtain the desired time period for a steady state of the porous layer to be reached and to control the amount of the heat stored in the porous layer.