Influence of Inclination and Dip Geometry on Natural Convection and Entropy Generation in Porous Cavities Using a Local RBF Method

  • Yadav, Akash (Indian Institute of Technology, Madras)
  • VSS Yedida, Sanyasiraju (Indian Institute of Technology, Madras)

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Natural convection and entropy generation in inclined porous cavities with complex top-wall depressions are numerically studied by comparing U-shaped and parabolic dip geometries with equal cold-surface area. The governing equations are solved using a meshless local radial basis function (RBF) method, enabling stable simulations in curved domains. The effects of inclination angle, Rayleigh number, Darcy number, Prandtl number, and aspect ratio are analyzed in terms of heat transfer and entropy generation. Results show a strong non-monotonic dependence of heat transfer on inclination, with optimal performance at intermediate angles. While differences between the two geometries are small at low aspect ratios, larger aspect ratios and stronger convection highlight distinct thermal behaviors. The parabolic dip yields higher overall heat transfer, whereas the U-shaped cavity exhibits stronger local thermal gradients and lower entropy generation at high Rayleigh and Darcy numbers. These findings demonstrate the role of geometry and inclination in controlling thermal performance in porous cavities.