Turbulent convection exemplifies many of the startling aspects of turbulent flows that have been uncovered in the past two decades, but frequently exhibits a novel twist. Thus, as in the case of free shear flows, convection can organize into large-scale vortical structures, but these then react back in subtle ways on the boundary layers which ultimately sustain them. Thermal plumes are a coherent mode of heat transport, analogous to boundary layer bursts, yet their overall effect can be surprisingly close to the structureless predictions of mixing length theory. Convection cells are closed, which facilitates their experimental control, but fluctuations never exit and there is a dynamically determined bulk forcing. While the single­ pass mode characteristic of wind tunnel experiments seems simpler, the convection cell is, in ways to be discussed, more constrained. This review aims to familiarize the turbulence researcher with con­ vergent lines of investigation in convection and also to remind those working in convection that turbulence is not a new subject. To situate convection within the gamut of other turbulent flows, let us by way of introduction contrast the directions in which convection has developed with research on the turbulent boundary layer. From the onset of convection up to Rayleigh numbers Ra � 1 0 times critical, there is a great wealth of information about flow structures (which can be visualized from above), and their relative stabilities (Busse 198 1 ) . Turbulence, in the sense of many coupled modes, and not just sensitive dependence on initial conditions, can arise for low Ra in large aspect ratio

High Rayleigh Number Convection

The characteristics of thermal convection in a fluid whose viscosity varies strongly with temperature are studied in the laboratory. At the start of an experiment, the upper boundary of an isothermal layer of Golden Syrup is cooled rapidly and maintained at a fixed temperature. The fluid layer is insulated at the bottom and cools continuously. Rayleigh numbers calculated with the viscosity of the well-mixed interior are between 106 and 108 and viscosity contrasts are up to 106. Thermal convection develops only in the lower part of the thermal boundary layer, and the upper part remains stagnant. Vertical profiles of temperature are measured with precision, allowing deduction of the thickness of the stagnant lid and the convective heat flux. At the onset of convection, the viscosity contrast across the unstable boundary layer has a value of about 3. In fully developed convection, this viscosity contrast is higher, with a typical value of 10. The heat flux through the top of the layer depends solely on local conditions in the unstable boundary layer and may be written \[Q_{\rm s} = - CK_{\rm m} (\alpha g/\kappa \nu_{\rm m})^{\frac{1}{3}} \Delta T^{\frac{4}{3}}_{\rm v}\], where km and νm are thermal conductivity and kinematic viscosity at the temperature of the well-mixed interior, κ thermal diffusivity, α the coefficient of thermal expansion, g the acceleration due to gravity. ΔTv, is the ‘viscous’ temperature scale defined by \[\Delta T_{\rm v} = - \frac{\mu (T_{\rm m})}{({\rm d}\mu /{\rm d}T)(T_{\rm m})}\] where μ(T) is the fluid viscosity and Tm the temperature of the well-mixed interior. Constant C takes a value of 0.47 ± 0.03. Using these relations, the magnitude of temperature fluctuations and the thickness of the stagnant lid are calculated to be in excellent agreement with the experimental data. One condition for the existence of a stagnant lid is that the applied temperature difference exceeds a threshold value equal to (2ΔTv).

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022112093001740

Transient high-Rayleigh-number thermal convection with large viscosity variations

Hydrodynamic and hydromagnetic stability

An experimental study of Rayleigh–Benard convection in the strongly turbulent regime is presented. We report results obtained at low Prandtl number (in mercury, Pr = 0.025), covering a range of Rayleigh numbers 5 × 106 < Ra < 5 × 109, and compare them with results at Pr∼1. The convective chamber consists of a cylindrical cell of aspect ratio 1.Heat flux measurements indicate a regime with Nusselt number increasing as Ra0.26, close to the 2/7 power observed at Pr∼1, but with a smaller prefactor, which contradicts recent theoretical predictions. A transition to a new turbulent regime is suggested for Ra ≃ 2 × 109, with significant increase of the Nusselt number. The formation of a large convective cell in the bulk is revealed by its thermal signature on the bottom and top plates. One frequency of the temperature oscillation is related to the velocity of this convective cell. We then obtain the typical temperature and velocity in the bulk versus the Rayleigh number, and compare them with similar results known for Pr∼1.We review two recent theoretical models, namely the mixing zone model of Castaing et al. (1989), and a model of the turbulent boundary layer by Shraiman & Siggia (1990). We discuss how these models fail at low Prandtl number, and propose modifications for this case. Specific scaling laws for fluids at low Prandtl number are then obtained, providing an interpretation of our experimental results in mercury, as well as extrapolations for other liquid metals.

Strongly turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection in mercury: comparison with results at moderate Prandtl number

A stochastic model, implemented as a Monte Carlo simulation, is used to compute statistical properties of velocity and scalar fields in stationary and decaying homogeneous turbulence, shear flow, and various buoyant stratified flows. Turbulent advection is represented by a random sequence of maps applied to a one-dimensional computational domain. Profiles of advected scalars and of one velocity component evolve on this domain. The rate expression governing the mapping sequence reflects turbulence production mechanisms. Viscous effects are implemented concurrently. Various flows of interest are simulated by applying appropriate initial and boundary conditions to the velocity profile. Simulated flow microstructure reproduces the −5/3 power-law scaling of the inertial-range energy spectrum and the dissipation-range spectral collapse based on the Kolmogorov microscale. Diverse behaviours of constant-density shear flows and buoyant stratified flows are reproduced, in some instances suggesting new interpretations of observed phenomena. Collectively, the results demonstrate that a variety of turbulent flow phenomena can be captured in a concise representation of the interplay of advection, molecular transport, and buoyant forcing.

One-dimensional turbulence: model formulation and application to homogeneous turbulence, shear flows, and buoyant stratified flows

A review of the literature on natural convection in a horizontal layer heated from below shows the need for reliable data at high Rayleigh number (Ra) to determine the asymptotic Nusselt number (Nu) variation with Rayleigh number. The present study expands the data base by the use of an electrochemical mass transfer technique to determine the asymptotic dependence of the Sherwood number (Sh) on Ra at high Schmidt number (Sc). The results of the present study give Sh = 0.0659 for Sc ≈ 2750, 3 × 109 < Ra < 5 × 1012. Using the heat-mass transfer analogy, this indicates the high Prandtl number variation of Nu with Ra.

D. L. See

Papers

High-Rayleigh-number convection in a horizontal enclosure