Dimensionless correlations for natural convection heat transfer from a pair of vertical staggered plates suspended in free air

Buoyancy-induced convection from a pair of staggered heated vertical plates suspended in free air is studied numerically with the main scope to investigate the basic heat and momentum transfer features and to determine in what measure any independent variable affects the thermal performance of each plate and both plates. A computational code based on the SIMPLE-C algorithm for pressure-velocity coupling is used to solve the system of the governing conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy. Numerical simulations are carried out for different values of the Rayleigh number based on the plate length, as well as of the horizontal separation distance between the plates and their vertical alignment, which are both normalized by the plate length. It is observed that an optimal separation distance between the plates for the maximum heat transfer rate related to the Rayleigh number and the vertical alignment of the plates does exist. Based on the results obtained, suitable dimensionless heat transfer correlations are developed for each plate and for the entire system.