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Mixed convection in a periodically heated channel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2015

M. Z. Hossain*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, ON N6A 5B9, Canada
J. M. Floryan
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, ON N6A 5B9, Canada
*
†Email address for correspondence: mhossa7@uwo.ca
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Abstract

Mixed convection in a channel with flow driven by a pressure gradient and subject to spatially periodic heating along one of the walls has been studied. The pattern of the heating is characterized by the wavenumber ${\it\alpha}$ and its intensity is expressed in terms of the Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}_{p}$ . The primary convection has the form of counter-rotating rolls with the wavevector parallel to the wavevector of the heating. The resulting net heat flow between the walls increases proportionally to $\mathit{Ra}_{p}$ but the growth saturates when $\mathit{Ra}_{p}=O(10^{3})$ . The most effective heating pattern corresponds to ${\it\alpha}\approx 1$ , as this leads to the most intense transverse motion. The primary convection is subject to transition to secondary states with the onset conditions depending on ${\it\alpha}$ . The conditions leading to transition between different forms of secondary motion have been determined using the linear stability theory. Three patterns of secondary motion may occur at small Reynolds numbers $\mathit{Re}$ , i.e. longitudinal rolls, transverse rolls and oblique rolls, with the critical conditions varying significantly as a function of ${\it\alpha}$ . An increase of ${\it\alpha}$ leads to the elimination of the longitudinal rolls and, eventually, to the elimination of the oblique rolls, with the transverse rolls assuming the dominant role. For large ${\it\alpha}$ , the transition is driven by the Rayleigh–Bénard mechanism; while for ${\it\alpha}=O(1)$ , the spatial parametric resonance dominates. The global flow characteristics are identical regardless of whether the heating is applied at the lower or the upper wall.

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© 2015 Cambridge University Press 
Figure 0

Figure 1. Sketch of the flow system.

Figure 1

Figure 2. Flow patterns for $\mathit{Ra}_{p}=1000$, ${\it\alpha}=1$ and $\mathit{Re}=0$ (a), 5 (b) and 20 (c), respectively. The complete stream function ${\it\Psi}(x,y)=\mathit{Re}(-y^{3}/3+y+2/3)+{\it\psi}(x,y)$ is normalized by its maximum, ${\it\Psi}_{max}=6.52$ (a), 8.56 (b) and 26.27 (c), respectively.

Figure 2

Figure 3. Variations of the average Nusselt number $\mathit{Nu}_{av}$ as a function of ${\it\alpha}$ for $\mathit{Ra}_{p}=200$, 400 and 1000 with $\mathit{Re}=1$ (a) and $R=10$ (b). The asymptotes for ${\it\alpha}\rightarrow 0$ and ${\it\alpha}\rightarrow \infty$ are marked using dotted lines. The curves for $\mathit{Re}=0$ and $\mathit{Re}=1$ overlap within the resolution of panel (a).

Figure 3

Figure 4. Variations of the average Nusselt number $\mathit{Nu}_{av}$ as a function of $\mathit{Ra}_{p}$ for ${\it\alpha}=1$.

Figure 4

Figure 5. Variations of the average Nusselt number $\mathit{Nu}_{av}$ as a function of $\mathit{Re}$ for ${\it\alpha}=1$ and $\mathit{Ra}_{p}=200$, 400 and 1000. The asymptotes for $\mathit{Re}\rightarrow 0$ and $\mathit{Re}\rightarrow \infty$ are marked using dotted lines.

Figure 5

Figure 6. Variations of the average Nusselt number $\mathit{Nu}_{av}$ as a function of ${\it\alpha}$ and $\mathit{Re}$ for $\mathit{Ra}_{p}=1000$.

Figure 6

Figure 7. Variations of the average Nusselt number $\mathit{Nu}_{av}$ as a function of $\mathit{Ra}_{p}{\it\alpha}^{-3}$ and ${\it\alpha}$ for $\mathit{Re}=1$ (a), 5 (b) and 10 (c). The thick solid lines identify the critical stability conditions for the transverse rolls.

Figure 7

Figure 8. Variations of (a) the horizontal heat flux along the heated wall expressed in terms of the horizontal Nusselt number $\mathit{Nu}_{h}$ and (b) the convective part of this heat flux expressed in terms of the horizontal convective Nusselt number $\mathit{Nu}_{h,conv}$.

Figure 8

Figure 9. Variations of (a) the critical Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr}$ and (b) the critical wavenumbers ${\it\delta}_{cr}$ and ${\it\beta}_{cr}$ as functions of ${\it\alpha}$ for the periodically heated layer with $\mathit{Re}=0$ (see § 3.3.1). Curves 1, 2 and 3 correspond to the longitudinal, transverse and oblique rolls, respectively.

Figure 9

Figure 10. Variations of (a) the critical Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}_{cr}$ and (b) the critical wavenumbers ${\it\delta}_{cr}$ and ${\it\beta}_{cr}$, and the frequency ${\it\sigma}_{r}$ as functions of the Reynolds number $\mathit{Re}$ for the uniformly heated fluid layer (see § 3.3.2). Curves 1, 2, 3 and 4 correspond to the parallel rolls, the 60° oblique rolls, the 30° oblique rolls, and the orthogonal rolls, respectively. In panel (b), the thick solid, dashed and dash-dotted lines identify ${\it\delta}_{cr}$, ${\it\beta}_{cr}$ and ${\it\sigma}_{r}$, respectively; the limit points A, B, C and D (marked using ●, ♢, ○, ▵) correspond to $({\it\delta}_{cr},{\it\beta}_{cr},{\it\sigma}_{r})=(0,1.56,0)$, $(0.51,0.89,1565)$, $(0.89,0.51,1554)$ and $(1.02,0,1554)$, respectively.

Figure 10

Figure 11. The flow structures associated with (a) the primary convection and (b) the secondary convection in the form of transverse rolls at the onset in a flow with $\mathit{Re}=1$. (a) The stream function normalized by its maximum; (b) the second invariant of the velocity gradient tensor (see (3.21)). The heating has the wavenumber ${\it\alpha}=5$, requires the intensity corresponding to $\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr}=3317$ and generates the secondary convection with wavenumber ${\it\beta}_{cr}=1.6$.

Figure 11

Figure 12. The onset conditions required for the formation of the secondary convection in the form of transverse rolls in the fluid flowing through a periodically heated channel at different Reynolds numbers $\mathit{Re}$ (see § 3.3.3): variations of (a) the critical Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}_{cr}$ and (b) the critical wavenumber ${\it\beta}_{cr}$ as functions of the heating wavenumber ${\it\alpha}$.

Figure 12

Figure 13. The onset conditions required for the formation of the secondary convection in the form of transverse rolls in the fluid flowing through a channel subject to periodic heating of different wavelength (see § 3.3.3): variations of (a) the critical Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr}$ and (b) the critical wavenumber ${\it\beta}_{cr}$ as functions of the Reynolds number $\mathit{Re}$. The asymptote for large $\mathit{Re}$ is marked in panel (a) using the dashed line. No asymptote has been identified in panel (b) (see figure 14 for further explanations).

Figure 13

Figure 14. Demonstration that an ${\it\alpha}$-independent asymptote for ${\it\beta}_{cr}$ for large $\mathit{Re}$ does not exist. This figure displays variations of the amplification rate ${\it\sigma}_{i}$ as a function of the wavenumber ${\it\beta}$ of transverse rolls resulting from the application of heating with wavenumbers ${\it\alpha}=1$, 2, 5 and 10 for three values of the Reynolds number, i.e. $\mathit{Re}=10^{4}$, $5\times 10^{4}$ and $10^{5}$. Heating with the Rayleigh number corresponding to the critical conditions for each combination of ${\it\alpha}$ and $\mathit{Re}$ has been used. It can be seen that an increase of $\mathit{Re}$ results in ${\it\beta}_{cr}\rightarrow 1.74$, 1.58, 1.51 and 1.50 for ${\it\alpha}=1$, 2, 5 and 10.

Figure 14

Figure 15. The flow structures associated with (a) the primary convection and (b) the secondary convection in the form of longitudinal rolls at the onset in a flow with $\mathit{Re}=1$. (a) The stream function normalized with its maximum; (b) the second invariant of the velocity gradient tensor (see (3.21)). The heating has the wavenumber ${\it\alpha}=3.6$, requires an intensity corresponding to $\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr}=3191$ and generates the secondary convection with wavenumber ${\it\delta}_{cr}=1.8$ (the lock-in conditions). The rolls are pushed downstream with the phase speed corresponding to ${\it\sigma}_{r}=0.0015$. This speed increases with an increase of $\mathit{Re}$.

Figure 15

Figure 16. The onset conditions required for the formation of the secondary convection in the form of longitudinal rolls in a fluid driven through a periodically heated channel at different Reynolds numbers $\mathit{Re}$ (see § 3.3.4). (a) Variations of the critical Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}_{cr}$ as a function of the heating wavenumber ${\it\alpha}$. The thick solid line identifies the reference state of $\mathit{Re}=0$. (b) Variations of the critical wavenumber ${\it\delta}_{cr}$ (solid lines) as a function of the heating wavenumber ${\it\alpha}$, with the thick solid line corresponding to the reference state of $\mathit{Re}=0$. Also shown are variations of the critical frequency ${\it\sigma}_{cr}$ as a function of the heating wavenumber ${\it\alpha}$ (dashed lines). The reference state of $\mathit{Re}=0$ is marked using the dotted line (${\it\sigma}_{cr}=0$).

Figure 16

Figure 17. The onset conditions required for the formation of the secondary convection in the form of longitudinal rolls in a fluid driven through a channel subject to periodic heating of different wavelength (see § 3.3.4). (a) Variations of the critical Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr}$, (b) variations of the critical wavenumber ${\it\delta}_{cr}$ and (c) variations of the critical frequency ${\it\sigma}_{r}$ as functions of the Reynolds number $\mathit{Re}$. Correlation $\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr}={\it\alpha}^{0.2}(61.1\mathit{Re}^{1.386}-7.2\times 10^{-7}\mathit{Re}^{3.48})$ valid for $250<\mathit{Re}<5772$ is marked in panel (a) using the dotted line. The limit points A, B and C in panel (b) are located at $(\mathit{Re},{\it\delta}_{cr})=(5772,1.02)$, $(0,2)$ and $(0,1.66)$, respectively, and the limit point D in panel (d) is located at $(\mathit{Re},{\it\sigma}_{r})=(5772,1554)$.

Figure 17

Figure 18. The flow structures associated with (a) the primary convection and (b) the secondary convection in the form of oblique rolls at the onset in a flow with $\mathit{Re}=1$. (a) The stream function normalized by its maximum; (b) the second invariant of the velocity gradient tensor (see (3.21)). The heating has the wavenumber ${\it\alpha}=2.5$, requires an intensity corresponding to $\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr}=2513$ and generates the secondary convection with wavenumbers ${\it\delta}_{cr}=1.25$ and ${\it\beta}_{cr}=0.77$.

Figure 18

Figure 19. The onset conditions required for the formation of the secondary convection in the form of oblique rolls in a fluid driven through a periodically heated channel (see § 3.3.5). (a–c) Variations of the critical Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr}$ as a function of the magnitude of the disturbance wavevector $|\boldsymbol{q}|=\sqrt{{\it\delta}^{2}+{\it\beta}^{2}}$ and its orientation angle ${\it\chi}$, defined as $\tan ({\it\chi})={\it\beta}/{\it\delta}$, for the heating with the wavenumber ${\it\alpha}=3.5$ for the flow Reynolds number $\mathit{Re}=0$ (a), 1 (b) and 10 (c), respectively.

Figure 19

Figure 20. The onset conditions required for the formation of the secondary convection in the form of oblique rolls in a fluid driven through a periodically heated channel (see § 3.3.5). Variations of (a) the critical Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr}$ and (b) the critical wavenumbers ${\it\delta}_{cr}$ and ${\it\beta}_{cr}$ as functions of the heating wavenumber ${\it\alpha}$. The critical curves for $\mathit{Re}>6$ consist of two segments with the dash-dotted lines used to identify the left segment. Symbols (●) identify the limit points on the ${\it\alpha}$ axis where the oblique rolls cease to play the critical role.

Figure 20

Figure 21. The onset conditions required for the formation of the secondary convection in the form of oblique rolls in a fluid driven through a periodically heated channel (see § 3.3.5). Variations of (a) the critical Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr}$ and (b) the critical wavenumber ${\it\beta}_{cr}$ as functions of the Reynolds number $\mathit{Re}$. Symbols (●) identify the limit points on the $\mathit{Re}$ axis where the oblique rolls cease to play the critical role. Note that ${\it\delta}_{cr}={\it\alpha}/2$ for oblique rolls.

Figure 21

Figure 22. The onset conditions for the secondary convection (see § 3.3.6). (a–i) Variations of the critical conditions for the transverse, longitudinal and oblique rolls as a function of the heating wavenumber ${\it\alpha}$ for the flow Reynolds number $\mathit{Re}=0$, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10, respectively. Labels 1, 2 and 3 identify the longitudinal, transverse and oblique rolls, respectively. Points A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J have coordinates $({\it\alpha},\mathit{Ra}_{p,cr})=(4.46,3192)$, $(4.03,3032)$, $(4.34,3156)$, $(3.77,3201)$, $(3.68,3178)$, $(3.16,3162)$, $(2.77,3251)$, $(2.38,3623)$, $(1.72,8234)$ and $(1.2,8040)$, respectively.