Finite amplitude convection cells

1967 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Robinson

In this paper we consider two-dimensional steady cellular motion in a fluid heated from below at large Rayleigh number and Prandtl number of order unity. This is a boundary-layer problem and has been considered by Weinbaum (1964) for the case of rigid boundaries and circular cross-section. Here we consider cells of rectangular cross-section with three sets of velocity boundary conditions: all boundaries free, rigid horizontal boundaries and free vertical boundaries (referred to here as periodic rigid boundary conditions), and all boundaries rigid; the vertical boundaries of the cells are insulated. It is shown that the geometry of the cell cross-section is important, such steady motion being not possible in the case of free boundaries and circular cross-section; also that the dependence of the variables of the problem on the Rayleigh number is determined by the balances in the vertical boundary layers.We assume only those boundary layers necessary to satisfy the boundary conditions and obtain a Nusselt number dependence $N \sim R^{\frac{1}{3}}$ for free vertical boundaries. For the periodic rigid case, Pillow (1952) has assumed that the buoyancy torque is balanced by the shear stress on the horizontal boundaries; this is equivalent to assuming velocity boundary layers beside the vertical boundaries (rather than the vorticity boundary layers demanded by the boundary conditions) and leads to a Nusselt number dependence N ∼ R¼. If it is assumed that the flow will adjust itself to give the maximum heat flux possible the two models are found to be appropriate for different ranges of the Rayleigh number and there is good agreement with experiment.An error in the application of Rayleigh's method in this paper is noted and the correct method for carrying the boundary-layer solutions round the corners is given. Estimates of the Nusselt numbers for the various boundary conditions are obtained, and these are compared with the computed results of Fromm (1965). The relevance of the present work to the theory of turbulent convection is discussed and it is suggested that neglect of the momentum convection term, as in the mean field equations, leads to a decrease in the heat flux at very high Rayleigh numbers. A physical argument is given to derive Gill's model for convection in a vertical slot from the Batchelor model, which is appropriate in the present work.

2008 ◽  
Vol 609 ◽  
pp. 111-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDREW J. WELLS ◽  
M. GRAE WORSTER

A model is developed for turbulent natural convection in boundary layers formed next to isothermal vertical surfaces. A scaling analysis shows that the flow can be described by plume equations for an outer turbulent region coupled to a resolved near-wall laminar flow. On the laboratory scale, the inner layer is dominated by its own buoyancy and the Nusselt number scales as the one-third power of the Rayleigh number (Nu ∝ ${\it Ra}_z^{1/3}$). This gives a constant heat flux, consistent with previous experimental and theoretical studies. On larger geophysical scales the buoyancy is strongest in the outer layer and the laminar layer is driven by the shear imposed on it. The predicted heat transfer correlation then has the Nusselt number proportional to the one-half power of Rayleigh number (Nu ∝ ${\it Ra}_z^{1/2}$) so that a larger heat flux is predicted than might be expected from an extrapolation of laboratory-scale results. The criteria for transitions between flow regimes are consistent with a hierarchy of instabilities of the near-wall laminar flow, with a buoyancy-driven instability operating on the laboratory scale and a shear-driven instability operating on geophysical scales.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousef Alihosseini ◽  
Mohammad Reza Azaddel ◽  
Sahel Moslemi ◽  
Mehdi Mohammadi ◽  
Ali Pormohammad ◽  
...  

AbstractIn recent years, PCR-based methods as a rapid and high accurate technique in the industry and medical fields have been expanded rapidly. Where we are faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, the necessity of a rapid diagnosis has felt more than ever. In the current interdisciplinary study, we have proposed, developed, and characterized a state-of-the-art liquid cooling design to accelerate the PCR procedure. A numerical simulation approach is utilized to evaluate 15 different cross-sections of the microchannel heat sink and select the best shape to achieve this goal. Also, crucial heat sink parameters are characterized, e.g., heat transfer coefficient, pressure drop, performance evaluation criteria, and fluid flow. The achieved result showed that the circular cross-section is the most efficient shape for the microchannel heat sink, which has a maximum heat transfer enhancement of 25% compared to the square shape at the Reynolds number of 1150. In the next phase of the study, the circular cross-section microchannel is located below the PCR device to evaluate the cooling rate of the PCR. Also, the results demonstrate that it takes 16.5 s to cool saliva samples in the PCR well, which saves up to 157.5 s for the whole amplification procedure compared to the conventional air fans. Another advantage of using the microchannel heat sink is that it takes up a little space compared to other common cooling methods.


Author(s):  
Ehsan Sadeghi ◽  
Majid Bahrami ◽  
Ned Djilali

In many practical instances such as basic design, parametric study, and optimization analysis of thermal systems, it is often very convenient to have closed form relations to obtain the trends and a reasonable estimate of the Nusselt number. However, finding exact solutions for many practical singly-connected cross-sections, such as trapezoidal microchannels, is complex. In the present study, the square root of cross-sectional area is proposed as the characteristic length scale for Nusselt number. Using analytical solutions of rectangular, elliptical, and triangular ducts, a compact model for estimation of Nusselt number of fully-developed, laminar flow in microchannels of arbitrary cross-sections with “H1” boundary condition (constant axial wall heat flux with constant peripheral wall temperature) is developed. The proposed model is only a function of geometrical parameters of the cross-section, i.e., area, perimeter, and polar moment of inertia. The present model is verified against analytical and numerical solutions for a wide variety of cross-sections with a maximum difference on the order of 9%.


1983 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Irie ◽  
G. Yamada ◽  
K. Tanaka

The natural frequencies of in-plane vibration are presented for uniform arcs with circular cross section under all combinations of boundary conditions.


1987 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 697-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Prasad

Two-dimensional, steady natural convection in a rectangular cavity filled with a heat-generating, saturated porous medium has been studied numerically for the case when the vertical walls of the cavity are isothermal and the horizontal walls are either adiabatic or cold. Results are presented in terms of the streamlines and isotherms, the maximum temperature in the cavity, and the local and overall Nusselt numbers. The buoyant flow together with the uniform heat generation produces a highly stratified medium at high Rayleigh numbers. Although the maximum temperature in the cavity θmax invariably increases with the Rayleigh number Ra and aspect ratio A, the rate of increase diminishes with this enhancement in Ra and A. However, the change in the horizontal wall boundary condition from adiabatic to cold reduces θmax. The local heat flux on the bounding walls is a strong function of the Rayleigh number, the aspect ratio, and the wall boundary conditions. The variation in overall Nusselt number is qualitatively similar to that observed in the case of a differentially heated cavity, and the present heat transfer rates are close to that for the cavity heated by applying a uniform heat flux. Several correlations are presented for maximum temperature and overall Nusselt number.


2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Vocale ◽  
Gian Luca Morini ◽  
Marco Spiga

In this work, hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed gas flow through elliptical microchannels is numerically investigated. The Navier–Stokes and energy equations are solved by considering the first-order slip flow boundary conditions and by assuming that the wall heat flux is uniform in the axial direction, and the wall temperature is uniform in the peripheral direction (i.e., H1 boundary conditions). To take into account the microfabrication of the elliptical microchannels, different heated perimeter lengths are analyzed along the microchannel wetted perimeter. The influence of the cross section geometry on the convective heat transfer coefficient is also investigated by considering the most common values of the elliptic aspect ratio, from a practical point of view. The numerical results put in evidence that the Nusselt number is a decreasing function of the Knudsen number for all the considered configurations. On the contrary, the role of the cross section geometry in the convective heat transfer depends on the thermal boundary condition and on the rarefaction degree. With the aim to provide a useful tool for the designer, a correlation that allows evaluating the Nusselt number for any value of aspect ratio and for different working gases is proposed.


Author(s):  
Qun Wan ◽  
A. V. Kuznetsov

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the oscillating and streaming flow fields and the heat transfer efficiency across a channel between two long parallel beams, one of which is stationary and the other oscillating in standing wave form. The oscillating amplitude is assumed much smaller than the channel height. When the Reynolds number, which is defined by the oscillating frequency and the standing wave number, is much greater than unity, boundary layer structures are found near both beams, which are separated by a core region in the center of the channel. The oscillating fields within the core region and both boundary layers are obtained analytically. Based on the oscillating fields, the streaming fields within both boundary layers are also analytically obtained. Further investigation of boundary layer streaming fields shows that the streaming velocities approach constant values at the edges of the boundary layers and provide slip velocities for the streaming field in the core region. The core region streaming velocity field is numerically obtained by solving the mass and momentum conservation equations in their stream function–vorticity form. The temperature field is also computed for two cases: both beams are kept at constant but different temperatures (case A) or the oscillating beam is kept at a constant temperature and the stationary beam is prescribed a constant heat flux (case B). Cases of different channel heights are computed and a critical height is found. When the channel height is smaller than the critical value, for each half standing wavelength distance along the beams, two symmetric eddies are observed, which occupy the whole channel. In this case, the Nusselt number increases with the increase of the channel height. After the critical value, two layers of asymmetric eddies are observed near the oscillating beam and the Nusselt number decreases and approaches unity with the increase of the gap size. The abrupt change of the streaming field and the Nusselt number as the channel height goes through its critical value may be due to the bifurcation caused by instability of the vortex structure in the fluid layer.


1997 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Arkani-Hamed

Abstract. The Rayleigh number-Nusselt number, and the Rayleigh number-thermal boundary layer thickness relationships are determined for the three-dimensional convection in a spherical shell of constant physical parameters. Several models are considered with Rayleigh numbers ranging from 1.1 x 102 to 2.1 x 105 times the critical Rayleigh number. At lower Rayleigh numbers the Nusselt number of the three-dimensional convection is greater than that predicted from the boundary layer theory of a horizontal layer but agrees well with the results of an axisymmetric convection in a spherical shell. At high Rayleigh numbers of about 105 times the critical value, which are the characteristics of the mantle convection in terrestrial planets, the Nusselt number of the three-dimensional convection is in good agreement with that of the boundary layer theory. At even higher Rayleigh numbers, the Nusselt number of the three-dimensional convection becomes less than those obtained from the boundary layer theory. The thicknesses of the thermal boundary layers of the spherical shell are not identical, unlike those of the horizontal layer. The inner thermal boundary is thinner than the outer one, by about 30- 40%. Also, the temperature drop across the inner boundary layer is greater than that across the outer boundary layer.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document