Departures from the Boussinesq approximation in laminar Benard convection

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.866218· OSTI ID:6603838

Paolucci, S; Chenoweth, D R

A two-dimensional computer program has been used to obtain stability and heat transfer results for flow in an air layer heated from below. The gas is contained in a cavity of aspect ratio 20, with rigid conducting top and bottom walls, and rigid insulating side walls. Steady-state results are presented for a temperature difference parameter epsilon = beta-bar..delta..T/2 as large as 0.6. Consistent with Busse's analysis (J. Fluid Mech. 30, 625 (1967)), it is found that the critical Rayleigh number and the Nusselt number correlation depend on epsilon/sup 2/; furthermore the coefficients for the corrections are given here. For small but non-Boussinesq values of epsilon, the results are in agreement with the linear theory of Busse and the experimental results of Ahlers (J. Fluid Mech. 98, 137 (1980)).

• Research Organization: Applied Mechanics Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California 94550
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6603838
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 30:5; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
AIR
ASPECT RATIO
CAVITIES
COMPUTER CODES
CONVECTION
CORRELATIONS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
LAMINAR FLOW
MASS TRANSFER
NUSSELT NUMBER
STABILITY
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
THERMAL CONDUCTION
THERMAL INSULATION
THERMODYNAMICS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
WALLS