Topic 8 Exploring the Concepts

 


Low Rayleigh-Number Convection

Movie shows evolution of temperature from initial “all cool” state. The bottom of the region is given a high temperature and the top kept cooler. Colours represent temperature (Red=hottest, blue=coolest). This system is barely critical, that is, just able to convect. Only a narrow range of spatial frequencies has lower energy than the uniform, non-convecting solution.

Click here to watch animation

p.hornby@dem.csiro.au

Copyright © 1995 AGCRC

 


High Rayleigh-Number Convection

Movie shows evolution of temperature from initial non-convecting state. The bottom of the region is given a high temperature and the top kept cooler. Colours represent temperature (Red=hottest, blue=coolest). This system is strongly convective. A broad range of spatial frequencies has lower energy than the uniform, non-convecting solution, admitting localised structures.

Click here to watch animation

p.hornby@dem.csiro.au

Copyright © 1995 AGCRC