High Rayleigh Number Laminar Convection in Low Aspect Ratio Enclosures With Adiabatic Horizontal Walls and Differentially Heated Vertical Walls

Laminar flow in shallow horizontal cavities (aspect ratio a < < 1) at high Rayleigh numbers (> 10⁶) is investigated using an approximate analysis based on first principles, and also with numerical solutions to the full equations. A Prandtl number of approximately one is assumed. It is found that the flow regime at such high values of Ra is characterized by boundary layers lining both vertical as well as horizontal walls of the enclosure, and is qualitatively different from the flow regimes at lower Rayleigh numbers. The internal region of the core (near to the horizontal centerline) exhibits linear velocity and temperature profiles. Typical isotherms and streamlines characteristic of this flow regime are presented, based on the numerical solutions. The velocity and temperature profiles predicted from the approximate analysis are found to compare well with those obtained from the numerically obtained solutions. The Nusselt numbers predicted from the analysis are also in good agreement with the numerical solutions, and with the limited experimental data in the literature. The various physical processes in this type of flow are discussed based on the findings of the analytical and numerical studies.