Laminar axisymmetric pure and saline water plumes

 In most studies concerning round laminar plumes in a uniform environment a linear relationship between fluid density and temperature has been used. However it is known that the density-temperature relationship for water is non-linear at low temperatures. In this study the problem of round laminar plume of pure and saline water has been investigated in the temperature range between 20 °C and 0 °C taking into account the nonlinearity between density and temperature. The results are obtained with the numerical solution of the boundary layer equations. It was found that the plume behavior is dependent on ambient temperature and the centerline axial velocity at maximum density temperature is approximately 10% lower than the corresponding value based on linear relation between density and temperature. Received on 22 November 1999     

Mixed Convection in Water Near the Density Extremum Along a Vertical Plate with Sinusoidal Surface Temperature Variation Embedded in a Porous Medium

A steady laminar boundary layer flowing along a vertical plate immersed in a Darcy–Brinkman porous medium saturated with water at 4°C is studied. The plate temperature varies sinusoidally along the plate between 0 and 8°C where the density of water varies parabolically and is almost symmetrical at about 4°C. Except for the existence of the buoyancy force, it is assumed that either the plate moves upwards or the ambient water moves upwards (moving stream). The results are obtained with the direct numerical solution of the boundary layer equations taking into account the temperature dependence of water thermophysical properties (ρ, μ and c _p). Results are presented for the wall temperature gradient and the wall shear stress along the plate for free convection and mixed convection. Temperature and velocity profiles are also presented.     

Steady mixed convection boundary layer flow over a vertical flat plate in a porous medium filled with water at 4°C: case of variable wall temperature

The problem of steady mixed convection boundary layer flow over a vertical impermeable flat plate in a porous medium saturated with water at 4°C (maximum density) when the temperature of the plate varies as x ^m and the velocity outside boundary layer varies as x ^{2 m} , where x measures the distance from the leading edge of the plate and m is a constant is studied. Both cases of the assisting and the opposing flows are considered. The plate is aligned parallel to a free stream velocity U _∞ oriented in the upward or downward direction, while the ambient temperature is T _∞ = T _m (temperature at maximum density). The mathematical models for this problem are formulated, analyzed and simplified, and further transformed into non-dimensional form using non-dimensional variables. Next, the system of governing partial differential equations is transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations using the similarity variables. The resulting system of ordinary differential equations is solved numerically using a finite-difference method known as the Keller-box scheme. Numerical results for the non-dimensional skin friction or shear stress, wall heat transfer, as well as the temperature profiles are obtained and discussed for different values of the mixed convection parameter λ and the power index m. All the numerical solutions are presented in the form of tables and figures. The results show that solutions are possible for large values of λ and m for the case of assisting flow. Dual solutions occurred for the case of opposing flow with limited admissible values of λ and m. In addition, separation of boundary layers occurred for opposing flow, and separation is delayed for the case of water at 4°C (maximum density) compared to water at normal temperature.     

Laminar natural convection of pure and saline water along a vertical isothermal cylinder

 In most studies concerning laminar natural convection along a vertical isothermal cylinder a linear relationship between fluid density and temperature has been used and kinematic viscosity and thermal diffusivity have been considered constant calculated at ambient temperature. However, it is known that the density–temperature relationship for water is non-linear at low temperatures and kinematic viscosity and thermal diffusivity are functions of temperature. In this study the problem of laminar natural convection of pure and saline water along a vertical isothermal cylinder has been investigated in the temperature range between 20 and 0 ^∘C taking into account the temperature dependence of ν, α and ρ. The results are obtained with the numerical solution of the boundary layer equations. The variation of ν, α and ρ with temperature has a strong influence on free convection characteristics. Received on 17 May 1999     

Double-diffusive convection for a heated cylinder submerged in a salt-stratified fluid layer

Double-diffusive convection due to a cylindrical source submerged in a salt-stratified solution is numerically investigated in this study. For proper simulation of the vortex generated around the cylinder, a computational domain with irregular shape is employed. Flow conditions depend strongly on the thermal Rayleigh number, Ra _T , and the buoyancy ratio, R _ρ. There are two types of onset of instability existing in the flow field. Both types are due to either the interaction of the upward temperature gradient and downward salinity gradient or the interaction of the lateral temperature gradient and downward salinity gradient. The onset of layer instability due to plume convection is due to the former, whereas, the onset of layer instability of layers around the cylinder is due to the latter. Both types can be found in the flow field. The transport mechanism of layers at the top of the basic plume belongs to former while that due to basic plume and layer around the cylinder are the latter. The increase in Ra _T reinforces the plume convection and reduces the layer numbers generated around the cylinder for the same buoyancy ratio. For the same Ra _T , the increase of R _ρ suppresses the plume convection but reinforces the layers generated around the cylinder. The profiles of local Nusselt number reflects the heat transfer characteristics of plume convection and layered structure. The profiles of averaged Nusselt number are between the pure conduction and natural convection modes and the variation is due to the evolution of layers. Received on 13 September 1996     

Laminar assisting mixed convection heat transfer from a vertical isothermal plate to water with variable physical properties

The steady laminar boundary layer flow, with an external force, along a vertical isothermal plate is studied in this paper. The external force may be produced either by the motion of the plate or by a free stream. The fluid is water whose density-temperature relationship is non-linear at low temperatures and viscosity and thermal conductivity are functions of temperature. The results are obtained with the numerical solution of the boundary layer equations with , k and variable across the boundary layer. Both upward and downward flow is considered. It was found that the variation of , k and with temperature has a strong influence on mixed convection characteristics.Nomenclature c_p water specific heat - f dimensionless stream function - g gravitational acceleration - Gr_x local Grashof number - k thermal conductivity - Nu_x local Nusselt number - Pr Prandtl number - Pr_a ambient Prandtl number - Re_x local Reynolds number - s salinity - T water temperature - T_a ambient water temperature - T_o plate temperature - u vertical velocity - u_a free stream velocity - u_o plate velocity - v horizontal velocity - x vertical coordinate - y horizontal coordinate - pseudo-similarity variable - nondimensional temperature - dynamic viscosity - _f film dynamic viscosity - _o dynamic viscosity at plate surface - kinematic viscosity - buoyancy parameter - water density - _a ambient water density - _f film water density - _o water density at plate surface - physical stream function     

Study of Density Effects in Turbulent Buoyant Jets Using Large-Eddy Simulation

Large-Eddy simulations (LES) of spatially evolving turbulent buoyant round jets have been carried out with two different density ratios. The numerical method used is based on a low-Mach-number version of the Navier–Stokes equations for weakly compressible flow using a second-order centre-difference scheme for spatial discretization in Cartesian coordinates and an Adams–Bashforth scheme for temporal discretization. The simulations reproduce the typical temporal and spatial development of turbulent buoyant jets. The near-field dynamic phenomenon of puffing associated with the formation of large vortex structures near the plume base with a varicose mode of instability and the far-field random motions of small-scale eddies are well captured. The pulsation frequencies of the buoyant plumes compare reasonably well with the experimental results of Cetegen (1997) under different density ratios, and the underlying mechanism of the pulsation instability is analysed by examining the vorticity transport equation where it is found that the baroclinic torque, buoyancy force and volumetric expansion are the dominant terms. The roll-up of the vortices is broken down by a secondary instability mechanism which leads to strong turbulent mixing and a subsequent jet spreading. The transition from laminar to turbulence occurs at around four diameters when random disturbances with a 5% level of forcing are imposed to a top-hat velocity profile at the inflow plane and the transition from jet-like to plume-like behaviour occurs further downstream. The energy-spectrum for the temperature fluctuations show both −5/3 and −3 power laws, characteristic of buoyancy-dominated flows. Comparisons are conducted between LES results and experimental measurements, and good agreement has been achieved for the mean and turbulence quantities. The decay of the centreline mean velocity is proportional to x ^−1/3 in the plume-like region consistent with the experimental observation, but is different from the x ⁻¹ law for a non-buoyant jet, where x is the streamwise location. The distributions of the mean velocity, temperature and their fluctuations in the near-field strongly depend upon the ratio of the ambient density to plume density ρ_a/ρ₀. The increase of ρ_a/ρ₀ under buoyancy forcing causes an increase in the self-similar turbulent intensities and turbulent fluxes and an increase in the spatial growth rate. Budgets of the mean momentum, energy, temperature variance and turbulent kinetic energy are analysed and it is found that the production of turbulence kinetic energy by buoyancy relative to the production by shear is increased with the increase of ρ_a/ρ₀. Received 16 June 2000 and accepted 26 June 2001     

Numerical study of transient laminar natural convection heat transfer over a sphere subjected to a constant heat flux

Transient laminar natural convection over a sphere which is subjected to a constant heat flux has been studied numerically for high Grashof numbers (10⁵ ≤ Gr ≤ 10⁹) and a wide range of Prandtl numbers (Pr = 0.02, 0.7, 7, and 100). A plume with a mushroom-shaped cap forms above the sphere and drifts upward continuously with time. The size and the level of temperature of the transient cap and plume stem decrease with increasing Gr and Pr. Flow separation and an associated vortex may appear in the wake of the sphere depending on the magnitude of Gr and Pr. A recirculation vortex which appears and grows until “steady state” is attained was found only for the very high Grashof numbers (10⁵ ≤ Gr ≤ 10⁹) and the lowest Prandtl number considered (Pr = 0.02). The appearance and subsequent disappearance of a vortex was observed for Gr = 10⁹ and Pr = 0.7. Over the lower hemisphere, the thickness of both the hydrodynamic (δ_H) and the thermal (δ_T) boundary layers remain nearly constant and the sphere surface is nearly isothermal. The surface temperature presents a local maximum in the wake of the sphere whenever a vortex is established in the wake of the sphere. The surface pressure recovery in the wake of the sphere increases with decreasing Pr and with increasing Gr. For very small Pr, unlike forced convection, the ratio δ_T/δ_H remains close to unity. The results are in good agreement with experimental data and in excellent agreement with numerical results available in the literature. A correlation has also been presented for the overall Nusselt number as a function of Gr and Pr.     

Stability of a melt/solid interface with reference to a plume channel

The structure of free-convection flow in a plume channel formed as a result of melting above a local heat source placed on the basement of a solid mass is experimentally investigated. The channel shape and the flow pattern in it are functions of the relative power Ka = N/N ₁, where N is the plume source power and N ₁ is the heat removed to the surrounding mass. When the heat is withdrawn from the plume channel by heat conduction, the channel represents a system of convective cells on whose boundaries there are channel constrictions. The temperature fields and the cell flow patterns are investigated. For mantle plumes, such as the Hawaiian, Iceland, and Bouvet plumes and extended igneous provinces, the basement diameter and the values of the criterion Ka are determined.     

Nonlinear stability theory of channel flow with heat transfer – an asymptotic approach

A fully developed laminar Poiseuille flow subject to constant heat flux across the wall is analysed with respect to its stability behavior by applying a weakly nonlinear stability theory. It is based on an expansion of the disturbance control equations with respect to a perturbation parameter ε. This parameter is the small initial amplitude of the fundamental wave. This fundamental wave which is the solution of the linear (Orr-Sommerfeld) first order equation triggers all higher order effects with respect to ε. Heat transfer is accounted for asymptotically through an expansion with respect to a small heat transfer parameter ε _T . Both perturbation parameters, ε and ε _T , are linked by the assumption ε _T =O(ε²) by which a certain distinguished limit is assumed. The results for a fluid with temperature dependent viscosity show that heat transfer effects in the nonlinear range continue to act in the same way as in the initial linear range. Received on 11 August 1997     

Maximum density effects on convective instability of horizontal plane poiseuille flows in the thermal entrance region

A linear stability analysis is used to study the conditions marking the onset of secondary flow in the form of longitudinal vortices for plane Poiseuille flow of water in the thermal entrance region of a horizontal parallel-plate channel by a numerical method. The water temperature range under consideration is 0∼30°C and the maximum density effect at 4°C is of primary interest. The basic flow solution for temperature includes axial heat conduction effect and the entrance temperature is taken to be uniform at far upstream location jackie=−∞ to allow for the upstream heat penetration through thermal entrance jackie=0. Numerical results for critical Rayleigh number are obtained for Peclet numbers 1, 10, 50 and thermal condition parameters (λ ₁, λ ₂) in the range of −2.0≤λ ₁≤−0.5 and −1.0≤λ ₂≤1.4. The analysis is motivated by a desire to determine the free convection effect on freezing or thawing in channel flow of water.     

On a Free Convection Problem Over a Vertical Flat Surface in a Porous Medium

The problem of the free convection boundary-layer flow over a semi-infinite vertical flat surface in a porous medium is considered, in which the surface temperature has a constant value T₁ at the leading edge, where T₁ is above the ambient temperature, and takes a value T₂ at a given distance L along the surface, varying linearly between these two values and remaining constant afterwards. Numerical solutions of the boundary-layer equations are obtained as well as solutions valid for both small and large distance along the surface. Results are presented for the three cases, when the temperature T₂ is greater, equal or less than the ambient temperature T_∞. In the first case, T₂ > T_∞, a boundary-layer flow develops along the surface starting with a flow associated with the temperature difference T₁ − T_∞ at the leading edge and approaching a flow associated with the temperature difference T₂ − T_∞ at large distances. In the second case, T₂ = T_∞, the convective flow set up on the initial part of the surface drives a wall jet in the region where the surface temperature is the same as ambient. In the final case, T₂ < T_∞, a singularity develops in the numerical solution at the point where the surface temperature becomes T_∞. The nature of this singularity is discussed.     

Effect of the nonmonotonic temperature dependence of water density on free convection from a linear heat source

This paper presents the results of experimental studies of free convection from a heated wire in water for the two cases where the water temperature is higher or lower than the temperature at which water has maximum density. It is shown that, in the first case, the convective plume formed by heating rises, reaching the free surface. In the second case, the height of the convective plume is limited because water in the plume head reaches maximum density and becomes heavier than the surrounding water.     

MHD mixed convection stagnation-point flow of a nanofluid over a vertical permeable surface: a comprehensive report of dual solutions

The steady laminar magnetohydrodynamic mixed convection boundary layer flow of a nanofluid near the stagnation-point on a vertical permeable plate with prescribed external flow and surface temperature is investigated in this study. Here, both assisting and opposing flows are considered and studied. Using appropriate similarity variables, the governing equations are transformed into nonlinear ordinary differential equations in the dimensionless stream function, which is solved numerically using the Runge–Kutta scheme coupled with a conventional shooting procedure. Three different types of nanoparticles, namely copper Cu, alumina Al₂O₃ and titania TiO₂ with water as the base fluid are considered. Numerical results are obtained for the skin-friction coefficient and Nusselt number as well as for the velocity and temperature profiles for some values of the governing parameters, namely, the volume fraction of nanoparticles ?, permeability parameter f _o , magnetic parameter M and mixed convection parameter λ. It is found that dual solutions exist for both assisting and opposing flows, and the range of the mixed convection parameter for which the solution exists, increases with suction, magnetic field and volume fraction of nanoparticles.     

Onset of Buoyancy-Driven Convection in Porous Media Saturated with Cold Water Cooled from Above

When porous media saturated with initially stagnant cold water around the density maximum temperature are cooled from above, convection may be induced in an unstable lower layer. In this study, the onset of buoyancy-driven convection during time-dependent cooling is investigated using the propagation theory, which transforms disturbance equations similarly, and also considering the density inversion effect. The critical Darcy–Rayleigh number Ra _D,c is found as a function of the dimensionless density maximum temperature θ _max. For Ra _D > Ra _D,c the dimensionless critical time τ _c to mark the onset of instability is presented as a function of Ra _D and θ _max. These critical conditions are compared with previous theoretical results.     

Large-eddy simulation of buoyancy-driven natural ventilation in an enclosure with a point heat source

Rising buoyant plumes from a point heat source in a naturally ventilated enclosure have been investigated using large-eddy simulation (LES). The aim of the work is to assess the performance and the accuracy of LES for modelling buoyancy-driven displacement ventilation of an enclosure and to shed more light on the transitional behaviour of the plume and the coherent structures involved. The Smagorinsky sub-grid scale model is used for the unresolved small-scale turbulence. The Rayleigh number, Ra is chosen to be in the range where spatial transition from laminar to turbulent flow takes place (Ra = 1.5 × 10⁹). The plume properties (source strength and rate of spread) as well as the ventilation properties (stratification height and temperature of stratified layer) estimated using the theory of Linden et al. are found to agree reasonably well with the LES results. The variation of the plume width with height indicates a linear variation of the entrainment coefficient rather than a constant value used by Linden et al. for a fully turbulent thermal plume. Flow visualisation revealed the nature of the large-scale coherent structures involved in the transition to turbulence in the plume. The most excited modes observed in the velocity, pressure and temperature fields spectra correspond to Strouhal number in the range 0.3 ≤ St ≤ 0.55 which is in agreement with those observed by Zhou et al. for a turbulent forced plume. Excited modes less than thisvalue (St = 0.2) were observed and may be due to low-frequency motions felt throughout the flow.     

Non-Darcian Forced Convection Flow of Viscous Dissipating Fluid over a Flat Plate Embedded in a Porous Medium

In this study, laminar boundary layer flow over a flat plate embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium in the presence of viscous dissipation, inertia effect and suction/injection is analyzed using the Keller box finite difference method. The flat plate is assumed to be held at constant temperature. The non-Darcian effects of convection, boundary and inertia are considered. Results for the local heat transfer parameter and the local skin friction parameter as well as the velocity and temperature profiles are presented for various values of the governing parameters. The non-Darcian effects are shown to decrease the velocity and to increase the temperature. It is also shown that the local heat transfer parameter and the local skin friction parameter increase due to suction of fluid while injection reverses this trend. It is disclosed that the effect of the viscous dissipation for negative values of Ec (T _w < T _∞) is to enhance the heat transfer coefficient while the opposite is true for positive values of Ec (T _w > T _∞). The results are compared with those available in the existing literature and an excellent agreement is obtained.     

Density Maximum Effect on Double-diffusive Natural Convection in a Porous Cavity with Variable Wall Temperature

The effect of density maximum of water on double-diffusive natural convection in a two-dimensioned cavity filled with a water saturated isotropic porous medium is studied numerically. The horizontal walls of the cavity are insulated. The opposing vertical walls are kept at different temperatures θ _h (linearly varies with height) and θ _c (θ _c ≤ θ _h ). The concentration levels at cold wall and hot wall are, respectively, c ₁ and c ₂ with c ₁ > c ₂. Brinkman-Forchheimer extended Darcy model is used to investigate the average heat and mass transfer rates. The non-dimensional equations for momentum, energy, and concentration are solved by finite volume method with power law scheme for convection and diffusion terms. The results are presented in the form of streamlines, isotherms, and isoconcentration lines for various values of Grashof numbers, Schmidt number, porosity, and Darcy numbers. It is observed that the density maximum of water has profound effect on the thermosolutal convection. The effects of different parameters on the velocity, temperature, and species concentrations are also shown graphically.     

Development of mixed convection flow over a vertical plate due to an impulsive motion

The development of the mixed convection flow of an incompressible laminar viscous fluid over a semi-infinite vertical plate has been investigated when the fluid in the external stream is set into motion impulsively, and at the same the surface temperature is suddenly raised from its ambient temperature. The problem is formulated in such a way that at time t = 0, it reduces to Rayleigh type of equation and as time t , it tends to Blasius type of equation. The scale of time has been selected such that the traditional infinite region of integration becomes finite which significantly reduces the computational time. The nonlinear coupled singular parabolic partial differential equations governing the unsteady mixed convection flow have been solved numerically by using an implicit finite-difference scheme. The surface shear stress and the heat transfer increase or decrease with time when the buoyancy parameter is greater or less than a certain valve. There is a smooth transition from the initial steady state to the final steady state. The skin friction and heat transfer for the constant heat flux case are more than those of the constant wall temperature case. Also they increase with the buoyancy force.     

A method to compute ship exhaust plumes with waves and wind

Thermal and concentration transport models are implemented in CFDShip‐Iowa version 4.5, a semi‐coupled solver for air/water free surface flow (Int. J. Numer. Meth. Fluids 2008; 58 (6):591–624), to investigate the exhaust plume around ship superstructures. An incompressible, variable density approximation is implemented where the density can change in all governing equations due to temperature variations only. The thermal and concentration models are tested for the cases of steady and unsteady flow with thermal and solution transport in a 2D square cavity, and for a 3D thermal plume in an open environment, showing good agreement between computational results and experimental data. To test the method in an extreme motions condition, the exhaust plume of the ONR Tumblehome model DTMB 5613 is studied, showing complicated vortical structures in air including a pair of counter‐rotating vortices downstream of the stack for cross‐flow, and bended bird‐plume shape in the symmetry plane and varying arc‐shape in axial sections both for temperature and NO_x concentration fields. Effects of smoke exhaust speed and wind speed on the temperature and concentration distributions are studied. Finally, a smoke downwash computation is performed for a ship free to move in 6 degrees of freedom in a sea state 8 condition. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.