Control of Rayleigh-Benard convection in small aspect ratio containers

If the temperature gradient across a horizontal fluid layer is great enough, Rayleigh-Benard convection (RBC) is initiated and thermal transport is increased. Eliminating RBC at higher than critical temperature gradient would allow these gradients to be maintained at lower energy cost. Conversely, causing convection to occur at a lower thermal gradient would allow greater thermal transport at lower temperatures. In any case, controlling RBC would optimize many processes involving thermal gradients across fluids. Thus, the active suppression or enhancement of convection through selective perturbation of the thermal boundary conditions was investigated by considering a bulk fluid contained within a 2:1:1 rectangular cell.

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Author Michael Richard Gustafson II Electrical and Computer Engineering

Author Laurens E. Howle Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materia ...