Bulk scaling in wall-bounded and homogeneous vertical natural convection

DOI10.1017/JFM.2018.102zbMATH Open1419.76289OpenAlexW3103971383WikidataQ56990165 ScholiaQ56990165MaRDI QIDQ5227041FDOQ5227041

Authors: Chong Shen Ng, D. Chung, Andrew Ooi, Detlef Lohse 

Publication date: 5 August 2019

Published in: Journal of Fluid Mechanics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Previous numerical studies on homogeneous Rayleigh-B'enard convection, which is Rayleigh-B'enard convection (RBC) without walls, and therefore without boundary layers, have revealed a scaling regime that is consistent with theoretical predictions of bulk-dominated thermal convection. In this so-called asymptotic regime, previous studies have predicted that the Nusselt number ($Nu$) and the Reynolds number ($Re$) vary with the Rayleigh number ($Ra$) according to $NusimR{a}^{1/2}$ and $ResimR{a}^{1/2}$ at small Prandtl number ($Pr$). In this study, we consider a flow that is similar to RBC but with the direction of temperature gradient perpendicular to gravity instead of parallel; we refer to this configuration as vertical natural convection (VC). Since the direction of the temperature gradient is different in VC, there is no exact relation for the average kinetic dissipation rate, which makes it necessary to explore alternative definitions for $Nu$, $Re$ and $Ra$ and to find physical arguments for closure, rather than making use of the exact relation between $Nu$ and the dissipation rates as in RBC. Once we remove the walls from VC to obtain the homogeneous setup, we find that the aforementioned $1/2$-power-law scaling is present, similar to the case of homogeneous RBC. When focussing on the bulk, we find that the Nusselt and Reynolds numbers in the bulk of VC too exhibit the $1/2$-power-law scaling. These results suggest that the $1/2$-power-law scaling may even be found at lower Rayleigh numbers if the appropriate quantities in the turbulent bulk flow are employed for the definitions of $Ra$, $Re$ and $Nu$. From a stability perspective, at low- to moderate-$Ra$, we find that the time-evolution of the Nusselt number for homogenous vertical natural convection is unsteady, which is consistent with the nature of the elevator modes reported in previous studies on homogeneous RBC.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.08341

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zbMATH Keywords

homogeneous turbulenceturbulence theoryturbulence simulation

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Free convection (76R10) Direct numerical and large eddy simulation of turbulence (76F65) Convective turbulence (76F35)

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Cited In (6)

• Fixed-flux Rayleigh–Bénard convection in doubly periodic domains: generation of large-scale shear
• Coriolis effect on centrifugal buoyancy-driven convection in a thin cylindrical shell
• Two-dimensional Rayleigh-Bénard convection without boundaries
• Convective heat transfer along ratchet surfaces in vertical natural convection
• Non-monotonic transport mechanisms in vertical natural convection with dispersed light droplets
• Regime transitions in thermally driven high-Rayleigh number vertical convection

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