The Ra-Pr domain of laminar natural convection in an enclosure heated from the side

Journal Article · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1990 · Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A: Applications; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/10407789108944836· OSTI ID:5980630

Lage, J L; Bejan, A ^[1]

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1. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke Univ., Durham, NC (US)

This paper reports the phenomenon of natural convection in a square enclosure heated and cooled in the horizontal direction investigated numerically in the Prandtl number range 0.01-10 and the Rayleigh number range 10{sup 2}-10{sup 11}. The numerical method relied on the full governing equations for time-dependent flows. The study focused on the detection of inertia-sustained fluctuations in the flow field and on the highest Rayleigh number where steady-state laminar flows are possible. It was found that the highest Rayleigh number decreases dramatically as the Prandtl number decreases. This finding agrees qualitatively with experimental observations of transition to turbulent natural convection and with the local Reynolds number criterion of transition to turbulence recommended by the buckling theory of turbulent flow.

• OSTI ID: 5980630
• Journal Information: Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A: Applications; (USA), Journal Name: Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A: Applications; (USA) Vol. 19:1; ISSN 1040-7782; ISSN NHAAE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
42 ENGINEERING
420400 -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CONTAINERS
CONVECTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUID FLOW
HEAT TRANSFER
LAMINAR FLOW
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NATURAL CONVECTION
PRASEODYMIUM
RADIUM
RARE EARTHS