Coupling-diffusive effects on thermosolutal buoyancy convection in a horizontal cavity

Coupling-diffusive effects on thermosolutal buoyancy convection with Soret and Dufour effects in a horizontal cavity are investigated numerically. The problem is formulated using a coupling-diffusive model for thermosolutal buoyancy convection and is solved by the SIMPLE algorithm with the QUICK scheme in a nonuniform staggered grid system. The results show that thermal and solutal buoyancy primarily dominate the structure of the velocity field and that the inflexion points of flow pattern transform as Rayleigh number or buoyancy ratio increases. The parametric study shows that the heat and mass transfer of thermosolutal convection are enhanced as Rayleigh number or buoyancy ratio increases. Soret and Dufour effects have a linear influence on heat and mass transfer in a horizontal cavity so that the coupling-diffusive effects cannot be ignored, especially under high Rayleigh numbers.