TY - JOUR
T1 - A comparison of turbulent thermal convection between conditions of constant temperature and constant heat flux
AU - Verzicco, R.
AU - Sreenivasan, K. R.
PY - 2008/1/25
Y1 - 2008/1/25
N2 - We numerically investigate turbulent thermal convection driven by a horizontal surface of constant heat flux and compare the results with those of constant temperature. Below Ra ≈ 109, where Ra is the Rayleigh number, when the flow is smooth and regular, the heat transport in the two cases is essentially the same. For Ra > 109 the heat transport for imposed heat flux is smaller than that for constant temperature, and is close to experimental data. We provide a simple dimensional argument to indicate that the unsteady emission of thermal plumes renders typical experimental conditions closer to the constant heat flux case.
AB - We numerically investigate turbulent thermal convection driven by a horizontal surface of constant heat flux and compare the results with those of constant temperature. Below Ra ≈ 109, where Ra is the Rayleigh number, when the flow is smooth and regular, the heat transport in the two cases is essentially the same. For Ra > 109 the heat transport for imposed heat flux is smaller than that for constant temperature, and is close to experimental data. We provide a simple dimensional argument to indicate that the unsteady emission of thermal plumes renders typical experimental conditions closer to the constant heat flux case.
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U2 - 10.1017/S0022112007009135
DO - 10.1017/S0022112007009135
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:38049110148
SN - 0022-1120
VL - 595
SP - 203
EP - 219
JO - Journal of Fluid Mechanics
JF - Journal of Fluid Mechanics
ER -