variavel0=<b>Ana Cristina Avelar</b> - cristi@directnet.com.br IAE/CTA
<b>Marcelo Moreira Ganzarolli</b> - ganza@fem.unicamp.br UNICAMP
<b>Abstract.</b> An experimental and numerical analysis was performed to investigate the conjugate conduction-convection heat transfer problem in an array of vertical, parallel plates, forming open channels with heated protruding elements attached to one of the walls. It was analyzed the situation of uniform and non-uniform heating of the plates. It was varied both the distance between plates and power dissipated per plate. In the situation of non-uniform heating, in each plate and for a specified total heat generation rate, one element was electrically supplied with a power level different from the others and the influence of the location of this element on the temperature distribution was investigated. The SIMPLEC algorithm, based on the finite volume method, was used for solving the pressure velocity coupling. Numerical and experimental temperature profiles were compared and good agreements was observed.
<b>Keywords.</b> Natural Convection, Protruding Heat Sources, Non-Uniform Heating, Vertical Channels.