Spiral patterns in thermal convection

We report on spiral type convection patterns obtained from a numerical treatment of a generalized Swift-Hohenberg equation.     

NMR imaging of thermal convection patterns

Two special magnetic resonance imaging techniques were applied to the Rayleigh/Bénard problem of thermal convection for the first time. The methods were tested using a water cell with horizontal bottom and top covers kept at different temperatures with a downward gradient. Using Fourier encoding velocity imaging (FEVI) a five-dimensional image data set was recorded referring to two space dimensions of slice-selective images and all three components of the local velocity vector. On this basis, the fields of the velocity components or of the velocity magnitude were evaluated quantitatively and rendered as gray shade images. Furthermore the convection rolls were visualized with the aid of two- or three-dimensional multistripe/multiplane tagging imaging pulse sequences based on two or three DANTE combs for the space directions to be probed. Movies illustrating the fluid motions by convection in all three space dimensions were produced. It is demonstrated that the full spatial information of the convection rolls is accessible with microscopic resolution of typically 100 × 100 × 100 μm³. This resolution is effectively limited by flow displacements in the echo time, which should be well within the voxel dimension. The main perspective of this work is that the combined application of FEVI and multistripe/multiplane tagging imaging permits quantitative examinations of thermal convection for arbitrary boundary conditions and with imposed through-flow apart from the direct visualization of convective flow in the form of movies.     

Neutron scattering from spatio-temporal patterns in thermal convection

We have investigated the thermal convection of a nematic liquid crystal in a two-dimensional, vertical slab container with long edgesa (horizontal) andb (vertical). Using a real-time and real-space neutron scattering technique, we find that the frequencies of oscillatory convection is given by a formula whose geometrical part is ² (h ² +k ²/b ²). For the Fourier indices (h,k) we find the selection rule(h+k)=2n withn=1,2 ... The variation of ² with the vertical temperature difference T, as T approaches the convection threshold T _c , is found to be surprisingly well fitted by the two-dimensional, critical Ising index .     

Transitions in convection driven by a horizontal temperature gradient

We report the first detailed experimental study of transitions in the convection of a low Prandtl number fluid driven by a horizontal temperature gradient. The observed states, from time independent to one frequency with noise, to pure noise, to two frequencies with noise, can be related to the two secondary flows predicted for a cavity with large lateral extent, transverse stationary and longitudinal oscillatory rolls. Measured wavelengths and frequencies for the longitudinal rolls are in agreement with theoretical values, while the critical Grashof number is much higher than expected. Our results call for a new theoretical approach which takes both instability mechanisms into account.     

Complex spatiotemporal convection patterns

This paper reviews recent efforts to describe complex patterns in isotropic fluids (Rayleigh-Benard convection) as well as in anisotropic liquid crystals (electro-hydrodynamic convection) when driven away from equilibrium. A numerical scheme for solving the full hydrodynamic equations is presented that allows surprisingly well for a detailed comparison with experiments. The approach can also be useful for a systematic construction of models (order parameter equations). (c) 1996 American Institute of Physics.     

湍流热对流中的若干问题

对流是自然界中的一种常见现象,与人们的日常生产、生活息息相关。作为湍流和非线性系统的一个简单模型,在20世纪90年代以后,人们对热对流进行了系统而深入的研究。然而,直到现在,人们对湍流热对流的规律和本质仍然所知有限。文章主要从湍流传热、相干结构、大尺度环流和湍流中脉动量的小尺度统计等四个方面,简要地介绍了近年来湍流热对流的一些新进展。     

Inertial effects in long-scale thermal convection

A two-dimensional reduced equation describing the evolution of long-wave planforms of nonlinear three-dimensional Bénard convection in a gap between poorly conducting horizontal plates is derived with the account of vertical vorticity generated due to inertial effects. An additional term introduced thereby destroys the gradient structure of the reduced equation.     

湍流热对流中的若干问题

对流是自然界中的一种常见现象,与人们的日常生产、生活息息相关。作为湍流和非线性系统的一个简单模型,在20世纪90年代以后,人们对热对流进行了系统而深入的研究。然而,直到现在,人们对湍流热对流的规律和本质仍然所知有限。文章主要从湍流传热、相干结构、大尺度环流和湍流中脉动量的小尺度统计等四个方面,简要地介绍了近年来湍流热对流的一些新进展。     

Ultimate state of thermal convection

The ultimate regime of thermal convection, the so-called Kraichnan regime [R. H. Kraichnan, Phys. Fluids 5, 1374 (1962)]], hitherto has been elusive. Here numerical evidence for that regime is presented by performing simulations of the bulk of turbulence only, eliminating the thermal and kinetic boundary layers and replacing them with periodic boundary conditions.     

Large-scale patterns in Rayleigh-Bénard convection

Rayleigh-Bénard convection at large Rayleigh number is characterized by the presence of intense, vertically moving plumes. Both laboratory and numerical experiments reveal that the rising and descending plumes aggregate into separate clusters so as to produce large-scale updrafts and downdrafts. The horizontal scales of the aggregates reported so far have been comparable to the horizontal extent of the containers, but it has not been clear whether that represents a limitation imposed by domain size. In this work, we present numerical simulations of convection at sufficiently large aspect ratio to ascertain whether there is an intrinsic saturation scale for the clustering process when that ratio is large enough. From a series of simulations of Rayleigh-Bénard convection with Rayleigh numbers between 10⁵ and 10⁸ and with aspect ratios up to 12π, we conclude that the clustering process has a finite horizontal saturation scale with at most a weak dependence on Rayleigh number in the range studied.     

Superlattice patterns in vertically oscillated rayleigh-Benard convection

We report the first observations of superlattices in thermal convection. The superlattices are selected by a four-mode resonance mechanism that is qualitatively different from the three-mode resonance responsible for complex-ordered patterns observed previously in other nonequilibrium systems. Numerical simulations quantitatively describe both the pattern structure and the stability boundaries of superlattices observed in laboratory experiments. In the presence of the inversion symmetry, superlattices are found numerically to bifurcate supercritically directly from conduction or from a striped base state.     

Extraction of plumes in turbulent thermal convection

We present a scheme to extract the velocity of buoyant structures in turbulent thermal convection from simultaneous local velocity and temperature measurements. Applying this scheme to measurements taken at positions within the convection cell where the buoyant structures are dominated by plumes, we obtain the temperature dependence of the plume velocity and understand our results using the equations of motion. We further obtain the scaling behavior of the average local heat flux in the vertical direction at the cell center with the Rayleigh number and find that the scaling exponent is different from that measured for the Nusselt number. This difference leads to the conclusion that heat cannot be mainly transported through the central region of the convection cell.     

Active thermal convection in vibrofluidized granular systems

We present a granular-hydrodynamic model that captures the essence of convection in a fully vibrofluidized granular system. The steady temperature distribution is solved analytically. Numerical simulation shows that the convection always develops through a supercritical bifurcation, with its energy about of the random (heat) one. A comparison calculation is performed for a normal fluid. The convection roll, or an active roll as we call it, has an angular velocity gradient from its interior to exterior. We conclude that active rolls are universal.Received: 25 March 2004, Published online: 9 September 2004PACS: 45.70.Mg Granular flow: mixing, segregation and stratification - 47.20.Bp Buoyancy-driven instability - 47.27.Te Convection and heat transfer     

Stationary thermal convection in a viscoelastic ferrofluid

We report theoretical and numerical results on convection for a magnetic fluid in a viscoelastic carrier liquid. We focus in the stationary convection for idealized boundary conditions. We obtain explicit expressions of convective thresholds in terms of the control parameters of the system. Close to bifurcation, the coefficients of the corresponding amplitude equation are determined analytically. Finally, the secondary instabilities are performed.     

On thermal convection in slowly rotating systems

The dynamical properties of convection patterns in a fluid layer heated from below and rotating slowly about a horizontal axis are reviewed. Applications to the equatorial regions of planetary and stellar atmospheres are emphasized. Attention is drawn to the wavelike drift of hexagonal convection cells in the azimuthal direction and to the mean flow generated by all convection patterns except for rolls aligned with the axis of rotation.     

Pattern selection in thermal convection in an annulus

Summary We report an analysis of the selected wave vector, as a function of the Rayleigh number, in thermal convection in annular geometry. The patterns have been studied by means of shadowgraph and, more quantitatively, with a sweeping laser beam. The selection processes have been investigated in cells of different sizes. We find that the wavevector increases for radial aspect ratios less than 2, whereas it decreases for larger aspect ratios. The thresholds for time-dependent regimes have also been measured.     

On numerical realizability of thermal convection

Astounded at the regularity of convective structures observed in simulations of mesoscale flow past realistic topography, we investigate the computational aspects of a classical problem of flow over a heated plane. We find that the numerical solutions are sensitive to viscosity, either incorporated a priori or effectively realized in computational models. In particular, anisotropic viscosity can lead to regular convective structures that mimic naturally realizable Rayleigh–Bénard cells, which are unphysical for the specified external parameter range. Details of the viscosity appear to play a secondary role; that is, similar structures can occur for prescribed constant viscosities, explicit subgrid-scale turbulence models, ad-hoc numerical filters, or implicit dissipation of numerical schemes. This implies the need for a careful selection of numerical tools suitable for convection-resolving simulations of atmospheric circulations. The implicit large-eddy-simulation (ILES) approach using non-oscillatory schemes is especially attractive, as for under-resolved calculations it reproduces well the coarsened results of finely-resolved boundary layer convection.     

Scaling in large Prandtl number turbulent thermal convection

We study the scaling properties of heat transfer Nu in turbulent thermal convection at large Prandtl number Pr using a quasi-linear theory. We show that two regimes arise, depending on the Reynolds number Re. At low Reynolds number, NuPr ^-1/2 and Re are a function of RaPr ^-3/2. At large Reynolds number NuPr ^1/3 and RePr are function only of RaPr ^2/3 (within logarithmic corrections). In practice, since Nu is always close to Ra ^1/3, this corresponds to a much weaker dependence of the heat transfer in the Prandtl number at low Reynolds number than at large Reynolds number. This difference may solve an existing controversy between measurements in SF₆ (large Re) and in alcohol/water (lower Re). We link these regimes with a possible global bifurcation in the turbulent mean flow. We further show how a scaling theory could be used to describe these two regimes through a single universal function. This function presents a bimodal character for intermediate range of Reynolds number. We explain this bimodality in term of two dissipation regimes, one in which fluctuation dominate, and one in which mean flow dominates. Altogether, our results provide a six parameters fit of the curve Nu(Ra, Pr) which may be used to describe all measurements at Pr≥0.7. Received 27 February 2002 / Received in final form 29 May 2002 Published online 31 July 2002