Effect of Surface Corrugation on Convection in a Three-Dimensional Finite Box of Fluid Saturated Porous Material

The problem of finite amplitude thermal convection in a three-dimensional finite box of fluid saturated porous material is investigated, when the lower boundary of the fluid is corrugated. The nonlinear problem of three-dimensional convection in the box for the values of the Rayleigh number close to the classical critical value and for small values of the amplitude of the corrugations is solved by a perturbation technique. The preferred mode of convection is determined by stability analysis. In the absence of corrugation three-dimensional modes of convection can be either stable or unstable depending on the values of the aspect ratios of the box, while two-dimensional rolls are always stable, provided that the box aspect ratios allow the existence of such modes of convection. In the presence of boundary corrugation with the appropriate form, different three-dimensional or two-dimensional modes of corrugation can be stable or unstable. For a rough boundary with local roughness sites, the location, size, and number of the roughness elements plus the wave numbers of the convection modes and the box aspect ratios can all play a role leading to either stable or unstable particular three- or two-dimensional flow patterns. For a wavy boundary, resonant wave-vector excitation can lead to the preference of stable two- or three-dimensional flow patterns whose wave vectors are in a subset of those due to the wavy boundary, while nonresonant wave-vector excitation can lead to the preference of stable flow patterns whose wave vectors are not generally in a subset of those due to the wavy boundary. Heat transported by convection can either be enhanced or be reduced by certain proper forms of the corrugations and by appropriate values of the box aspect ratios. Due to the surface corrugation highly subcritical modes of convection are stable, while highly supercritical modes of convection are unstable. Received 24 July 1998 and accepted 11 April 1999