Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published June 1966 | Published
Journal Article Open

Thermal convection with shear at high Rayleigh number

Abstract

A fluid is contained between rigid horizontal planes which move relative to each other with constant horizontal velocity. A gravitationally unstable temperature difference is maintained at the boundaries, and the heat flux and momentum flux (stress) transmitted by the fluid are measured. The Nusselt number, Nu, and the dimensionless momentum flux, Mo, are obtained for small mean rates of shear. The Rayleigh number, R, and the Prandtl number, σ, are both large in these experiments. The data are consistent with the following relations: Nu∝Moσ^(1/)2∝R^(1/3). Kraichnan's mixing-length theory of turbulent thermal convection is extended to the present situation, and the above experimental dependence of Nu and Mo on R and σ is obtained. The agreement between mixing-length theory and experiment provides strong support for Kraichnan's concise treatment of turbulent convection. The importance of this result is that heat and momentum fluxes may be calculated in this way for a variety of flows in geophysics.

Additional Information

© 1966 Cambridge University Press. This work formed part of a doctoral dissertation submitted to the Department of Physics at Harvard University. I should like to thank Prof. Richard Goody for providing essential guidance during the period of this research. The financial support of the National Science Foundation (Grant G 24903) is gratefully acknowledged.

Attached Files

Published - S0022112066001617a.pdf

Files

S0022112066001617a.pdf
Files (2.9 MB)
Name Size Download all
md5:2efec861423f6fd2a898c7c8704d42ba
2.9 MB Preview Download

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023