Forced convection in horizontal porous channels with hydrodynamic anisotropy

This paper presents an exact solution for fully developing forced convective flow in parallel-plate horizontal porous channels with an anisotropic permeability whose principal axes are oriented in a direction that is oblique to the gravity vector. A constant heat flux is applied on the channel side walls. Basing this analysis on the generalized Brinkman-extended Darcy model which allows the satisfaction of the no-slip boundary condition on solid wall, it is found that anisotropic parameters K* and ϕ have a strong influence on the flow fields and heat transfer rate, in the limiting case of low porosity media (Da→0). The results indicate that a maximum (minimum) heat transfer rate is reached when the orientation of the principal axis with higher permeability of the anisotropic porous matrix is parallel (perpendicular) to the vertical direction.