DOI: 10.1615/ICHMT.2015.THMT-15
ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-427-4
ISBN CD: 978-1-56700-428-8
Numerical Analysis of Multiplicity and Transition Phenomena in Natural Convection
SINOPSIS
A parametric investigation of the transition from steady to oscillatory state, and multiplicity phenomena in natural convection are studied for 2-D cavity. In this study the effects of different parameters such as Prandtl number (Pr), Rayleigh number (Ra), and aspect ratio (AR) are numerically analyzed. The complex phenomenon of onset of instability in a specific range of Ra numbers is examined, and multiple steady states are observed. It is found that, even at low Ra numbers, the flow undergoes a series of turning-point bifurcations which increase the rate of convective flow. The dependence of the critical Ra number on the AR and the Pr number is shown in stability diagrams.