BUOYANCY-INDUCED LAMINAR CONVECTIVE ROLLS IN RECTANGULAR GEOMETRY

Abstract

When an unstable vertical temperature gradient is imposed either in a cavity or in a duct with an axial flow, buoyancy-induced convective rolls are formed under supercritical conditions. The present study focuses on the interaction between thermofluid and geometric conditions through linear stability, finite amplitude, and numerical analyses, with emphases on the effect of the aspect ratio of rectangular geometry. The difference in the formation of convective rolls is discussed between natural convection in a cavity and mixed convection in a duct.