Rayleigh-Bénard Convection of Non-Newtonian Power-Law Fluids with Temperature-Dependent Viscosity

Two-dimensional steady-state Rayleigh-Bénard convection of thermodependent power-law fluids confined in a square cavity, heated from the bottom and cooled on the top with uniform heat fluxes, has been conducted numerically using a finite difference technique. The effects of the governing parameters, which are the Pearson number ( 0 ≤ m ≤ 10 ) , the flow behaviour index ( 0.6 ≤ n ≤ 1.4 ) , and the Rayleigh number ( 0 < R a ≤ 10 5 ) , on the flow onset, flow structure, and heat transfer have been examined. The heatlines concept has been used to explain the heat transfer deterioration due to temperature-dependent viscosity effect that m expresses.