The boundary layer contribution to intertropical convergence zones in the quasi-equilibrium tropical circulation model framework

Theories for the position and intensity of precipitation over tropical oceans on climate time scales have a perplexing disagreement between those that focus on the momentum budget of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and those that focus on thermodynamic factors. In the case of narrow intertropical convergence zones (ITCZs), there is some evidence for both classes of theories, and there are large open questions on the interpretation of the moist static energy (MSE) and momentum budgets of these regions. We develop a model in which both types of mechanisms can operate and the interaction between them can be analyzed. The model includes a mixed-layer ABL, coupled to a free troposphere whose vertical structure follows the quasi-equilibrium tropical circulation model (QTCM) of Neelin and Zeng. The case analyzed here is axisymmetric, using a fixed sea surface temperature (SST) lower boundary condition with an idealized off-equatorial SST maximum. We examine a regime with small values of the gross moist stability associated with tropospheric motions, which is realistic but poses theoretical challenges. In both rotating (equatorial β-plane) and nonrotating cases, the model ITCZ width and intensity are substantially controlled by the horizontal diffusion of moisture, which is hypothesized to be standing in for nonaxisymmetric transients. The inclusion of the ABL increases the amplitude and sharpness of the ITCZ, contributing to the importance of diffusion. Analytical solutions under simplifying assumptions show that the ABL contribution is not singular in the nondiffusive limit; it just features an ITCZ more intense than observed. A negative gross moist stability contribution associated with the flow component driven by ABL momentum dynamics plays a large role in this. Because of the ABL contribution, the flow imports, rather than exports, MSE in the ITCZ, but we show that this can be understood rather simply. The ABL contribution can be approximately viewed as a forcing to the tropospheric thermodynamics. The ABL forcing term is in addition to thermodynamic forcing by net flux terms in the MSE budget, which otherwise is much as in the standard QTCM. The ABL momentum budget suggests that divergent flow in the ABL is controlled to a significant extent by the pressure gradient imprinted on the ABL by the SST gradient—termed the Lindzen–Nigam contribution—although we also find that the thermodynamics mediating this is nontrivial, especially in the rotating case. Nonetheless, when this component of the pressure gradient is artificially removed, the peak ITCZ precipitation is reduced by a fraction on the order of 15 to 25%, less than might have been expected based on the diagnosis of the ABL momentum budget.     

Interpretation of simple and cloud-resolving simulations of moist convection–radiation interaction with a mock-Walker circulation

An idealized two-dimensional mock-Walker circulation in the tropical atmosphere forced by prescribed horizontal gradients in sea-surface temperature (SST) is discussed. This model problem includes feedbacks between cumulus convection and tropical large-scale circulations that have proved challenging for global climate models to predict accurately. Three-dimensional cloud-resolving model (CRM) simulations that explicitly simulate turbulent circulations within individual cloud systems across 4,096 and 1,024 km-wide Walker circulations are compared with a simple theoretical model, the Simplified Quasiequilibrium Tropical Circulation Model (SQTCM). This theoretical model combines the weak-temperature-gradient approximation with a unimodal truncation of tropospheric vertical structure coupled to highly simplified formulations of moist precipitating cumulus convection and its cloud-radiative feedbacks. The rainfall, cloud and humidity distribution, circulation strength, energy fluxes and scaling properties are compared between the models. The CRM-simulated horizontal distribution of rainfall and energy fluxes are adequately predicted by the SQTCM. However, the humidity distribution (drier subsidence regions and high-humidity boundary layers in the CRM), vertical structure and domain-size scaling of the circulation differ significantly between the models. For the SQTCM, the concept of gross moist stability – related to advection of moist static energy (MSE) out of tropospheric columns by the mean divergent circulation – is used to explain the width and intensity of the rainy region. Column MSE budgets averaged across the ascent branch of the simulated Walker circulation provide similar insight into the cloud-resolving simulations after consideration of the more complex horizontal and vertical circulation structure and the role of transient eddies. A nondimensional ascent-region moist stability ratio α, analogous to the SQTCM gross moist stability, is developed. One term of α is related to the vertical profiles of ascent-region mean vertical motion and ascent-region edge MSE; a second term is proportional to eddy export from the ascent region. Smaller α induces a narrower, rainier ascent region. The sensitivity of the SQTCM and CRM to a uniform 2 K increase in SST is compared, and the rainy upward branch of the circulation narrows in both models. MSE budget arguments are used to explain this behavior. In the simple model, the gross moist stability is a decreasing function of tropospheric temperature. Hence gross moist stability reduces and the ascent region narrows as the SST increases. In the CRM, increased atmospheric radiative cooling due to the warmer and moister troposphere destabilizes the MSE profile and decreases α, inducing a narrower ascent region. In the CRM, and to a lesser extent in the SQTCM, intensified shortwave cloud forcing in the warmer climate causes a negative radiative feedback on the SST change.Funding for this work from NSF grant DMS-0139794 is gratefully appreciated     

Multicloud Convective Parametrizations with Crude Vertical Structure

Recent observational analysis reveals the central role of three multi-cloud types, congestus, stratiform, and deep convective cumulus clouds, in the dynamics of large scale convectively coupled Kelvin waves, westward propagating two-day waves, and the Madden–Julian oscillation. The authors have recently developed a systematic model convective parametrization highlighting the dynamic role of the three cloud types through two baroclinic modes of vertical structure: a deep convective heating mode and a second mode with low level heating and cooling corresponding respectively to congestus and stratiform clouds. The model includes a systematic moisture equation where the lower troposphere moisture increases through detrainment of shallow cumulus clouds, evaporation of stratiform rain, and moisture convergence and decreases through deep convective precipitation and a nonlinear switch which favors either deep or congestus convection depending on whether the troposphere is moist or dry. Here several new facets of these multi-cloud models are discussed including all the relevant time scales in the models and the links with simpler parametrizations involving only a single baroclinic mode in various limiting regimes. One of the new phenomena in the multi-cloud models is the existence of suitable unstable radiative convective equilibria (RCE) involving a larger fraction of congestus clouds and a smaller fraction of deep convective clouds. Novel aspects of the linear and nonlinear stability of such unstable RCE’s are studied here. They include new modes of linear instability including mesoscale second baroclinic moist gravity waves, slow moving mesoscale modes resembling squall lines, and large scale standing modes. The nonlinear instability of unstable RCE’s to homogeneous perturbations is studied with three different types of nonlinear dynamics occurring which involve adjustment to a steady deep convective RCE, periodic oscillation, and even heteroclinic chaos in suitable parameter regimes.     

Effects of anisotropy on the free convection from a vertical plate embedded in a porous medium

The effects of anisotropy on the steady laminar boundary-layer free convection over a vertical impermeable surface are analysed by using the method of integral relations. If the permeability in the direction orthogonal to the plate is greater than the permeability along the plate, then there is an increase in the temperature field.     

The Structure of Precipitation Fronts for Finite Relaxation Time

When convection is parameterized in an atmospheric circulation model, what types of waves are supported by the parameterization? Several studies have addressed this question by finding the linear waves of simplified tropical climate models with convective parameterizations. In this paper’s simplified tropical climate model, convection is parameterized by a nonlinear precipitation term, and the nonlinearity gives rise to precipitation front solutions. Precipitation fronts are solutions where the spatial domain is divided into two regions, and the precipitation (and other model variables) changes abruptly at the boundary of the two regions. In one region the water vapor is below saturation and there is no precipitation, and in the other region the water vapor is above saturation level and precipitation is nonzero. The boundary between the two regions is a free boundary that moves at a constant speed. It is shown that only certain front speeds are allowed. The three types of fronts that exist for this model are drying fronts, slow moistening fronts, and fast moistening fronts. Both types of moistening fronts violate Lax’s stability criterion, but they are robustly realizable in numerical experiments that use finite relaxation times. Remarkably, here it is shown that all three types of fronts are robustly realizable analytically for finite relaxation time. All three types of fronts may be physically unreasonable if the front spans an unrealistically large physical distance; this depends on various model parameters, which are investigated below. From the viewpoint of applied mathematics, these model equations exhibit novel phenomena as well as features in common with the established applied mathematical theories of relaxation limits for conservation laws and waves in reacting gas flows.     

Effect of vertical grid variability on a free surface flow model

A previously developed numerical model that solves the incompressible, non‐hydrostatic, Navier–Stokes equations for free surface flow is analysed on a non‐uniform vertical grid. The equations are vertically transformed to the σ‐coordinate system and solved in a fractional step manner in which the pressure is computed implicitly by correcting the hydrostatic flow field to be divergence free. Numerical consistency, accuracy and efficiency are assessed with analytical methods and numerical experiments for a varying vertical grid discretization. Specific discretizations are proposed that attain greater accuracy and minimize computational effort when compared to a uniform vertical discretization. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Free convection from a vertical plate with nonuniform surface heat flux and embedded in a porous medium

An analysis is presented for the calculation of heat transfer due to free convective flow along a vertical plate embedded in a porous medium with an arbitrarily varying surface heat flux. By applying the appropriate coordinate transformations and the Merk series, the governing energy equation is expressed as a set of ordinary differential equations. Numerical solutions are presented for these equations which represent universal functions and several computational examples are provided.     

Mixed convection of non-newtonian fluids from a vertical plate embedded in a porous medium

This paper investigates mixed free and forced convection of non-Newtonian fluids from a vertical isothermal plate embedded in a homogenous porous medium. A mathematical model is developed based on the modified Darcy's law and boundary-layer approximations, and the exact similarity solution is obtained as well as an integral solution. These two solutions agree within 3% for aiding flows and 10% for opposing flows. It is found that, non-Newtonian characteristics of fluids have appreciable influences on velocity profiles, temperature distributions and flow regimes.     

周期加热的Rayleigh-Benard对流时空结构

通过二维流体力学基本方程组的数值模拟,研究了普朗特数Pr=6.99时矩形渠槽周期加热对Rayleigh-Benard对流时空结构的影响．当水平流动强度Re=0时,发现稳定的由周期加热引起的局部定常对流．当Re比较小时,对流滚动抑制水平流动,获得了由周期加热引起的局部行波对流．当水平流动强度比较大时,由于周期加热与水平流动相互作用,水平流动抑制部分对流滚动,导致对流区域上游附近出现传导区域,对流区域减小,从而形成一种新的局部行波对流结构．并进一步讨论了Rayleigh-Benard对流时空结构的动力学特性．     

Natural convection from a vertical cylinder in a thermally stratified porous medium

The problem of non-Darcy natural convection adjacent to a vertical cylinder embedded in a thermally stratified porous medium has been analyzed. Nonsimilarity solutions are obtained for the case that the ambient temperature increases linearly with height of the cylinder. A generalized flow model was used in the present study to include the effects of the macroscopic viscous term and the microscopic inertial force. Also, the thermal dispersion effect is considered in the energy equation. Thus, the main aim of this work is to examine the effects of thermal stratification and non-Darcy flow phenomena on the free convection flow and heat transfer characteristics. It was found that the present problem depends on six parameters, namely, the local thermal stratification parameter ξ, the boundary effect parameter Bp, the modified Grashof number Gr^*, wall temperature exponent m, the curvature parameter ω, and the modified Rayleigh number based on pore diameter Ra _d . The impacts of these governing parameters on the local heat transfer parameter are discussed in great detail. Also, representative velocity and temperature profiles are presented at selected values of the thermal stratification parameter. In general, the local heat transfer parameter is increased with increasing the values of m, ω, and Ra _d ; while it is decreased with increasing the values of ξ, Bp, and Gr^*. Received on 19 May 1998     

Heat transfer from a vertical tube bundle under natural circulation conditions

A rectangular loop (thermosyphon) was used to measure the average heat transfer coefficients for water at atmospheric pressure under natural circulation conditions. A twenty-one tube bundle with tubes 1.65 m long and 9.55 mm in diameter, and a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.33, was used as a test heat exchanger in one of the vertical legs of the loop. A natural circulation flow in the loop developed due to buoyancy differences of the fluid in its two vertical legs. Flow visualization experiments were performed to determine the flow regimes associated with natural circulation flow longitudinal to a tube bundle. Empirical correlations for the average Nusselt number have been developed and are reported. Grid spacers arranged on tube bundles were shown to enhance heat transfer, especially for laminar flow, without any noticeable increase in pressure drop.     

On natural convection from a vertical plate with a prescribed surface heat flux in porous media

This paper presents a theoretical and numerical investigation of the natural convection boundary-layer along a vertical surface, which is embedded in a porous medium, when the surface heat flux varies as (1 +x ²)), where is a constant andx is the distance along the surface. It is shown that for > -1/2 the solution develops from a similarity solution which is valid for small values ofx to one which is valid for large values ofx. However, when -1/2 no similarity solutions exist for large values ofx and it is found that there are two cases to consider, namely < -1/2 and = -1/2. The wall temperature and the velocity at large distances along the plate are determined for a range of values of .Notation g Gravitational acceleration - k Thermal conductivity of the saturated porous medium - K Permeability of the porous medium - l Typical streamwise length - q _w Uniform heat flux on the wall - Ra Rayleigh number, =gK(q _w /k)l/(v) - T Temperature - Too Temperature far from the plate - u, v Components of seepage velocity in the x and y directions - x, y Cartesian coordinates - Thermal diffusivity of the fluid saturated porous medium - The coefficient of thermal expansion - An undetermined constant - Porosity of the porous medium - Similarity variable, =y(1+x ) ^/3/x ^1/3 - A preassigned constant - Kinematic viscosity - Nondimensional temperature, =(T – T )Ra^1/3 k/qw - Similarity variable, = =y(log_e x)^1/3/x ^2/3 - Similarity variable, =y/x ^2/3 - Stream function     

Non-Darcy natural convection from a vertical wavy surface in a porous medium

We examine the combined effect of spatially stationary surface waves and the presence of fluid inertia on the free convection induced by a vertical heated surface embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium. We consider the boundary-layer regime where the Darcy-Rayleigh number, Ra, is very large, and assume that the surface waves have O(1) amplitude and wavelength. The resulting boundary-layer equations are found to be nonsimilar only when the surface is nonuniform and inertia effects are present; self-similarity results when either or both effects are absent. Detailed results for the local and global rates of heat transfer are presented for a range of values of the inertia parameter and the surface wave amplitude.     

Self-induced thermocapillary convection in film boiling heat transfer from a vertical surface in saturated conditions and viscous regimen

Self-induced thermocapillary convection and its significance with regard to film boiling heat transfer from a vertical saturated surface is discussed. Utilizing a simplified geometrical model, an analytical expression (multiplier factor) for the vapor film thickness and heat transfer coefficient corrected by thermocapillary phenomena was derived. The above equation is a new theoretical viewpoint for the enhancement in the heat transfer coefficient observed in the experimental data in the viscous regime and agree qualitatively with available experimental measurements made on R113 coolant.     

Experimental Study of the Effect of Gas-Phase Thickness On Stability and Structure of the Flow in a Two—Layer Liquid—Gas System

The stability of a two-layer liquid—gas system with a variable ratio of layer thicknesses is experimentally studied. It is found that the critical value of the Marangoni number and the characteristic size of convective structures depend on the ratio of thicknesses of the gas and liquid phases. For ratios higher than ten, the gas layer can be considered as infinite.     

Numerical study of natural convection flow in a vertical slot

The stability of convective motion, generated by a lateral temperature difference across a vertical slot, is studied numerically over a range ofGr=5000 to 1.5 × 10⁵,Pr=0.01 to 10, andA=8,16 and 20. Various cellular flow structures and temperature patterns are illustrated. Several branches of solutions characterized by different numbers of the cells in the flow patterns as well as by both steady and unsteady multicellular patterns are found for low-Prandtl-number fluid in the vertical slot. Meanwhile, the behaviors of the temperature variation and heat transfer are also discussed. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (59776011) and by the Returnee from Abroad Funding of Academia Sinica.     

Buoyancy-induced airflow in a side-heated structure consisting of a cubic box and vertical ducts

Buoyancy-induced airflow in a box with one wall heated, an unheated inlet duct connected to its floor, and an exit duct with one side heated connected to its ceiling is experimentally investigated. A flow rate prediction method based on buoyancy and flow resistance balance is proposed and experimentally validated. The flow pattern and thermal stratification in the box; the flow resistance characteristics for low Reynolds numbers; the relationship among buoyancy, flow resistance, and pressure defect; the chimney effect caused by the exit duct; and the heat transfer characteristics of the heated walls are clarified. The flow rate, thermal stratification, and flow enhancement due to the chimney effect are considerably dependent on the size of the gap of the exit duct.     

Non-linear dynamics and pattern formation in a vertical fluid layer heated from the side

We study both experimentally and numerically the convective flow in a tall vertical slot with differently heated walls. The flow is investigated for the fluid with the Prandtl number Pr=26, which is large enough to ensure the traveling waves as primary instability and small enough to prevent boundary layer convection. The flow evolution is determined on the base of the visual observations, power spectra and amplitude analysis. In the numerical simulations of two- and three-dimensional flows, we accept an assumption of an infinite fluid layer. The satisfactory agreement with experiment is observed, and the sequence of convection states is discovered. It starts with a plane-parallel flow as primary solution, which becomes unstable to two counter-propagating waves. It is followed by a tertiary three-dimensional flow in the form of wavy traveling waves. As the Grashof number is increased even further, a chaotically oscillating cellular pattern consisting of the pieces of broken waves arises. The formation of a structure in the form of the vertical rolls chaotically modulated along axes concludes this complicated picture.     

Free-convection boundary-layer flow of a non-Newtonian fluid along a vertical wavy surface

A theoretical analysis of laminar free-convection flow over a vertical isothermal wavy surface in a non-Nevvtonian power-law fluid is considered. The governing equations are first cast into a nondimensional form by using suitable boundary-layer variables that substract out the effect of the wavy surface from the boundary conditions. The boundary-layer equations are then solved numerically by a very efficient implicit finite-difference method known as the Keller-Box method. A sinusoidal surface is used to elucidate the effects of the power-law index, amplitude wavelength, and Prandtl number on the velocity and temperature fields, as well as on the local Nusselt number. It is shown that the local Nusselt number varies periodically along the wavy surface. The wave-length of the local Nusselt number variation is half that of the wavy surface, irrespective of whether the fluid is a Newtonian fluid or a non-Newtonian fluid. Comparisons with earlier works are also made, and the agreement is found to be very good.     

Transient free convection flow of a viscoelastic fluid over vertical surface

In this paper, the viscoelsatic boundary layer flow and the heat transfer near a vertical isothermal impermeable surface and in a quiescent fluid are examined. The gov-erning equations are formulated and solved numerically using MackCormak’s technique. The results show excellent agreement with previously published results by a compari-sion. Representative results for the velocity and temperature profiles, boundary layer thicknesses, Nusselt numbers, and local skin friction coefficients are shown graphically for different values of viscoelsatic parameters. In general, it is found that the velocities increase inside the hydrodynamic boundary layers and the temperatures decrease inside the thermal boundary layers for the viscoelsatic fluid as compared with the Newtonian fluid due to favorable tensile stresses. Consequently, the coefficients of friction and heat transfer enhance for higher viscoelsatic parameters.