| Abstract: | Investigations of the stability of steady-state plane-parallel convective motion between vertical planes heated to different temperatures 1–5] have shown that this motion, depending on the value of the Prandtl number P, exhibits instability of two types. With small and moderate Prandtl numbers, the instability is of a hydrodynamic nature. It is brought about by monotonic perturbations which, in the supercritical region, develop into a periodic, with respect to the vertical, system of steady-state vortices at the interface between the opposing convective flows. Articles 6, 7] are devoted to the numerical investigation of nonlinear secondary steady-state flows. If P>11.4, there appears a new mode of instability, i.e., running thermal waves increasing in the flow; with P>12, this mode becomes more dangerous 4]. This instability is connected with the development of vibrational perturbations, and it can be considered that in the supercritical region the perturbations lead to the establishment of steady-state vibrations. Linear theory has made it possible to determine the boundaries of the regions of stability. In the present article a numerical investigation is made of nonlinear supercritical conditions developing as a result of a loss of stability of the steady-state flow with respect to vibrational perturbations. |
