Subcritical convection in an internally heated layer

Linyan Xiang; Oleg Zikanov

doi:10.1103/physrevfluids.2.063501

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arXiv · 1701.06618

Subcritical convection in an internally heated layer

Linyan Xiang·Oleg Zikanov

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Abstract

Thermal convection in a horizontal layer with uniform internal heating and stress-free constant-temperature boundaries is analyzed numerically. The work is motivated by the questions arising in development of liquid metal batteries, in which convection is induced by the Joule heating of electrolyte. It is demonstrated that three-dimensional convection cells exist at subcritical Rayleigh numbers.

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Linyan Xiang, Oleg Zikanov. 2017-06-01. Subcritical convection in an internally heated layer. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevfluids.2.063501

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