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Buoyancy-Driven Instability and Growth

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Origin of Turbulence

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Abstract

Rayleigh-Bernard convection and Rayleigh–Taylor instability as well as density stratified flow instability belong to buoyancy-driven instability. Buoyancy-driven instability and growth are studied using the energy gradient theory. For given flow geometry and flow conditions, the magnitude of the gradient of the total mechanical energy, L, is taken as a stability criterion. Three problems are studied, respectively, i.e., stability of natural convection in an inclined rectangular cavity, thermal natural convection in a differentially heated cavity, and Rayleigh-Taylor instability and growth. The results show that the place of the maximum of L is the position of flow instability takes place first. It is also found that there is a inherent relation of L and the Rayleigh number Ra.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

    Hua-Shu Dou

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Dou, HS. (2022). Buoyancy-Driven Instability and Growth. In: Origin of Turbulence. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0087-7_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0087-7_14

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-19-0087-7

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