The stability of buoyant flows occurring in the mixed convection regime for a viscous fluid in a horizontal plane-parallel channel with adiabatic walls is investigated. The basic flow features a parallel velocity field under stationary state conditions. There exists a duality of flows, for every prescribed value of the mass flow rate across the channel cross-section, caused by the combined actions of viscous dissipation and of the buoyancy force. As pointed out in a previous study, only the primary branch of the dual solutions is compatible with the Oberbeck-Boussinesq approximation. Thus, the stability analysis will be focussed on the stability of such flows. The onset of the thermal instability with small-amplitude perturbations of the basic flow is investigated by assuming a very large Prandtl number, which is equivalent to a creeping flow regime. The neutral stability curves and the critical parametric conditions for the onset of instability are determined numerically.
Laminar natural convection heat transfer from two horizontally aligned square cylinders has been investigated numerically using a finite-volume method (FVM) approach. Computations were performed to delineate the momentum and heat transfer characteristics under the following ranges of parameters: horizontal spacing between the cylinders (0 <= S/W <= 10), tilt angle of the square cylinder (0^0 <= δ <= 60^0), and Grashof number (10 <= Gr <= 10^5) for some specific Newtonian fluids having Prandtl number (0.71 <= Pr <= 7). The comprehensive results are represented in terms of temperature contours a…
The Rayleigh--Taylor instability which is responsible for the occurrence of narrow upward jets are studied in the scope of the nonhydrostatic model with horizontally--nonuniform density and the Newtonian cooling. As analysis shows, the total hierarchy of instabilities in this model consists of three regimes -- collapse, algebraic instability, and inertial motion. Realization of these stages, mutual transitions and interference depend on a ratio between two characteristic time scales -- collapse time and cooling time.
Hydraulic fractures propagating at depth are subjected to buoyant forces caused by the density contrast between fluid and solid. This paper is concerned with the analysis of the transition from an initially radial towards an elongated buoyant growth -- a critical topic for understanding the extent of vertical hydraulic fractures in the upper Earth crust. Using fully coupled numerical simulations and scaling arguments, we show that a single dimensionless number governs buoyant hydraulic fracture growth: the dimensionless viscosity of a radial hydraulic fracture at the time when buoyancy becomes…
The aim of this Letter is to characterize the flow regimes of suspensions of finite-size rigid particles in a viscous fluid at finite inertia. We explore the system behavior as function of the particle volume fraction and the Reynolds number (the ratio of flow and particle inertia to viscous forces). Unlike single phase flows where a clear distinction exists between the laminar and the turbulent states, three different regimes can be identified in the presence of a particulate phase, with smooth transitions between them. At low volume fractions, the flow becomes turbulent when increasing the R…
Fully resolved simulation of flows with buoyant particles is a challenging problem since buoyant particles are lighter than the surrounding fluid, and as a result, the two phases are strongly coupled together. In this work, the virtual force stabilization technique introduced by Schwarz et al. [Schwarz, S., Kempe, T., & Fröhlich, J. (2015). A temporal discretization scheme to compute the motion of light particles in viscous flows by an immersed boundary method. J. Comput. Phys., 281, 591-613] is extended to simulate buoyant particle suspensions with high volume fractions (up to $40 \%$). It is…
Direct numerical simulations are used to investigate the individual dynamics of large spherical particles suspended in a developed homogeneous turbulent flow. A definition of the direction of the particle motion relative to the surrounding flow is introduced and used to construct the mean fluid velocity profile around the particle. This leads to an estimate of the particle slipping velocity and its associated Reynolds number. The flow modifications due to the particle are then studied. The particle is responsible for a shadowing effect that occurs in the wake up to distances of the order of it…
We consider the axisymmetric displacement of an ambient fluid by a second input fluid of lower density and lower viscosity in a horizontal porous layer. If the two fluids have been vertically segregated by buoyancy, the flow becomes self-similar with the input fluid preferentially flowing near the upper boundary. We show that this axisymmetric self-similar flow is stable to angular-dependent perturbations for any viscosity ratio. The Saffman-Taylor instability is suppressed due to the buoyancy segregation of the fluids. The radial extent of the segregated current is inversely proportional to t…
The stability of a horizontal interface between two viscous fluids, one of which is conducting and the other is dielectric, acted upon by a vertical time-periodic electric field is considered. The two fluids are bounded by electrodes separated by a finite distance. By means of Floquet theory, the marginal stability curves are obtained, thereby elucidating the dependency of the critical voltage and wavenumber upon the fluid viscosities. The limit of vanishing viscosities is shown to be in excellent agreement with the marginal stability curves predicted by means of a Mathieu equation. The method…
We investigate experimentally the spatial distributions of heavy and neutrally buoyant particles of finite size in a fully turbulent flow. As their Stokes number (i.e. ratio of the particle viscous relaxation time to a typical flow time scale) is close to 1, one may expect both classes of particles to aggregate in specific flow regions. This is not observed. Using a Voronoi analysis we show that neutrally buoyant particles sample turbulence homogeneously, whereas heavy particles do cluster. One implication for the understanding and modeling of particle laden flows, is that the Stokes number ca…
Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) have been employed to investigate the dynamics of finite-size spherical particles, slightly heavier than the carrier fluid, in a horizontal turbulent square duct flow. Interface resolved Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) have also been performed with the Immersed Boundary Method (IBM) at the same experimental conditions, bulk Reynolds number $Re_{2H}$ = 5600, duct height to particle size ratio $2H/d_p$ = 14.5, particle volume fraction $Φ$ = 1% and particle to fluid density ratio $ρ_p/ρ_f$ = 1.0035. A good agreement has b…
The basic stationary buoyant flow in a vertical annular porous passage induced by a boundary temperature difference is investigated. The vertical cylindrical boundaries are considered both isothermal and permeable to external fluid reservoirs. There exists a stationary parallel velocity field with a zero flow rate and pure conduction heat transfer. Its linear stability is analysed with normal mode perturbations of the pressure and temperature fields. The transition to convective instability is caused by the basic horizontal temperature gradient. Hence, its nature differs from that of the usual…
We investigate the turbulence statistics in a {multiphase plume made of heavy particles (particle Reynolds number at terminal velocity is 450)}. Using refractive-index-matched stereoscopic particle image velocimetry, we measure the locations of particles {whose buoyancy drives the formation of a multiphase plume,} {together with the local velocity of the induced flow in the ambient salt-water}. {Measurements in the plume centerplane exhibit self-similarity in mean flow characteristics consistent with classic integral plume theories.} The turbulence characteristics resemble those measured in a …
We theoretically investigate the role of solutal free convection on the diffusion of a buoyant solute at the microfluidic scales, $\simeq 5$--$500~μ$m. We first consider a horizontal microfluidic slit, one half of which initially filled with a binary solution (solute and solvent), and the other half with pure solvent. The buoyant forces generate a gravity current that couples to the diffusion of the solute. We perform numerical resolutions of the 2D model describing the transport of the solute in the slit. This study allows us to highlight different regimes as a function of a single parameter,…
Buoyancy effects and nozzle geometry can have a significant impact on turbulent jet dispersion. This work was motivated by applications involving hydrogen. Using helium as an experimental proxy, buoyant horizontal jets issuing from a round orifice on the side wall of a circular tube were analysed experimentally using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) techniques simultaneously to provide instantaneous and time-averaged flow fields of velocity and concentration. Effects of buoyancy and asymmetry on the resulting flow structure were studied over a range…
The different types of instabilities of free cylinders (diameter $D$, length $L$) have been studied in a viscous flow (velocity $U$) between parallel vertical walls of horizontal width $W$ at a distance $H$: the influence of the confinement parameters $D/H$ and $L/W$ has been investigated. As $D/H$ increases, there is a transition from stable flow to oscillations transverse to the walls and then to a fluttering motion with oscillations of the angle of the axis with respect to the horizontal. The two types of oscillations may be superimposed in the transition domain. The frequency $f$ of the tr…
A linear stability analysis is performed on a tilted parallel wake in a strongly stratified fluid at low Reynolds numbers. A particular emphasis of the present study is given to the understanding of the low-Froude-number mode observed by the recent experiment (Meunier, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 699, 2012, pp. 174-197). In the limit of low Froude number, the linearised equations of motion can be reduced to the Orr-Sommerfeld equation on the horizontal plane, except the viscous term that contains vertical dissipation. Based on this equation, it is proposed that the low-Froude-number mode would be a h…
Fundamental insight into the physics of buoyant gas dispersion from realistic flow geometries is necessary to accurately predict flow structures associated with hydrogen outflow from accidental leaks and the associated flammability envelope. Using helium as an experimental proxy, turbulent buoyant jets issuing from high-aspect-ratio slots on the side wall of a circular tube were studied experimentally applying simultaneous particle image velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) techniques. Two slots with an aspect ratio of 10 were considered in this study. The effects of …
Viscous fluid exiting a long horizontal circular pipe develops a complex structure comprising a primary jet above and a smaller secondary jet below with a thin fluid curtain connecting them. We present here a combined experimental, theoretical and numerical study of this 'Torricelli's curtain' phenomenon, focusing on the factors that control its morphology. We propose a theoretical model for the curtain in which particle trajectories result from the composition of two motions: a horizontal component corresponding to the evolving axial velocity profile of an axisymmetric viscous jet, and a vert…
We consider the onset of Boussinesq convection in a horizontal layer of electrically conducting incompressible fluid with rigid electrically insulating horizontal boundaries. The fluid is heated from below and rotates about a vertical axis; vertical magnetic field is imposed. The instability of the trivial steady state (fluid at rest) can be monotonic or oscillatory depending on parameters of the problem (the kinematic and magnetic Prandtl, Taylor and Chandrasekhar numbers). If the Taylor number is sufficiently large, convective rolls, emerging in the monotonic instability, experience the Küpp…
We derive a formula for the Péclet number ($\mathrm{Pe}$) by estimating the relative strengths of various terms of the momentum equation. Using direct numerical simulations in three dimensions we show that in the turbulent regime, the fluid acceleration is dominated by the pressure gradient, with relatively small contributions arising from the buoyancy and the viscous term, in the viscous regime, acceleration is very small due to a balance between the buoyancy and the viscous term. Our formula for $\mathrm{Pe}$ describes the past experiments and numerical data quite well. We also show that the…
In this paper we have studied the flow and heat transfer in a viscous fluid by a horizontal sheet. The stretching rate and temperature of the sheet vary with time. The governing equations for momentum and thermal energy are reduced to ordinary differential equations by means of similarity transformation. These equations are solved approximately by means of the Optimal Homotopy Asymptotic Method (OHAM) which provides us with a convenient way to control the convergence of approximation solutions and adjust convergence rigorous when necessary. Some examples are given and the results obtained reve…
The linear stability analysis of the Faraday instability on a viscous ferrofluid in a horizontal magnetic field is performed. Strong dipole-dipole interactions lead to the formation of chains elongated in the field direction. The formation of chains results in a qualitative new behaviour of the ferrofluid. This new behaviour is characterized by a neutral stability curve similar to that observed earlier for Maxwell viscoelastic liquids and causes a significant weakening of the energy dissipation at high frequencies. In the case of a ferrofluid with chains in a horizontal magnetic field, the eff…
We present the analytical solution for the two-dimensional velocity and density fields within an approximation for laminar stratified inclined duct (SID) flows where diffusion dominates over inertia in the along-channel momentum equation but it is negligible in the density transport equation. We refer to this approximation as the hydrostatic/gravitational/viscous in momentum and advective in density (HGV-A) approximation due to the leading balances in the governing equations. The analytical solution is valid for laminar flows in a two-layer configuration in the limit of long ducts. Under such …
Conduits generated by the buoyant dynamics between two miscible, Stokes fluids with high viscosity contrast exhibit rich nonlinear wave dynamics. However, little is known about the fundamental wave dispersion properties of the medium. In the present work, a pump is used to inject a time-periodic flow that results in the excitation of propagating small and large amplitude periodic traveling waves along the conduit interface. This wavemaker problem is used as a means to measure the linear and nonlinear dispersion relations and corresponding periodic traveling wave profiles. Measurements are favo…
We study numerically and theoretically the gravity-driven flow of a viscous liquid film coating the inner side of a horizontal cylindrical tube and surrounding a shear-free dynamically inert gaseous core. The liquid-gas interface is prone to the Rayleigh-Plateau and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. Here, we focus on the limit of low and intermediate Bond numbers, Bo, where the capillary and gravitational forces are comparable and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability is known to be suppressed. We first study the evolution of the axially invariant draining flow, initiating from a uniform film thickness…
The behaviour of a viscous drop squeezed between two horizontal planes is treated by both theory and experiment. When the squeezing force F is constant and surface tension is neglected, the theory predicts ultimate growth of the radius a~ t^{1/8}, in excellent agreement with our experiment. Surface tension at the drop boundary is included in the analysis, although negligibly small in the squeezing experiments. The circular evolution is found to be stable under small perturbations. If the force is reversed (F < 0), so that the plates are pulled or levered apart, the boundary of the drop is subj…
Linear stability of horizontal and inclined stratified channel flows of Newtonian/non-Newtonian shear-thinning fluids is investigated with respect to all wavelength perturbations. The Carreau model has been chosen for the modeling of the rheology of a shear-thinning fluid, owing to its capability to describe properly the constant viscosity limits (Newtonian behavior) at low and high shear rates. The results are presented in the form of stability boundaries on flow pattern maps (with the phases' superficial velocities as coordinates) for several practically important gas-liquid and liquid-liqui…
To simulate the interaction of ocean waves with marine structures, coupling approaches between a potential flow model and a viscous model are investigated. The first model is a fully nonlinear potential flow (FNPF) model based on the Harmonic Polynomial Cell (HPC) method, which is highly accurate and best suited for representing long distance wave propagation. The second model is a CFD code, solving the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations within the \openfoam toolkit, more suited to represent viscous and turbulent effects at local scale in the body vicinity. Two one-way coupling s…
We study the onset of magnetoconvection between two infinite horizontal planes subject to a vertical magnetic field aligned with background rotation. In order to gain insight into the convection taking place in the Earth's tangent cylinder (TC), we target regimes of asymptotically strong rotation. The critical Rayleigh number $Ra_{c}$ and critical wavenumber are computed numerically by solving the linear stability problem in a systematic way. A parametric study is conducted, varying the Ekman number, $E$ (ratio of viscous to Coriolis forces) and the Elsasser number, $Λ$ (ratio of the Lorentz f…
We present a detailed comparison of the rheological behaviour of sheared sediment beds in a pressure-driven, straight channel configuration based on data that was generated by means of fully coupled, grain-resolved direct numerical simulations and experimental measurements reviously published by Aussillous {\it et al.} (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 736, 2013, pp. 594-615). The highly-resolved simulation data allows to compute the stress balance of the suspension in the streamwise and vertical directions and the stress exchange between the fluid and particle phase, which is information needed to infer …
A physical model of a three-dimensional flow of a viscous bubbly fluid in an intermediate regime between bubble formation and breakage is presented. The model is based on mechanics and thermodynamics of a single bubble coupled to the dynamics of a viscous fluid as a whole, and takes into account multiple physical effects, including gravity, viscosity, and surface tension. Dimensionless versions of the resulting nonlinear model are obtained, and values of dimensionless parameters are estimated for typical magma flows in horizontal subaerial lava fields and vertical volcanic conduits. Exact solu…
The stability of the interface separating two immiscible incompressible fluids of different densities and viscosities is considered in the case of fluids filling a cavity which performs horizontal harmonic oscillation. There exists a simple basic state which corresponds to the unperturbed interface and plane-parallel unsteady counter flows; the properties of this state are examined. A linear stability problem for the interface is formulated and solved a) for both inviscid and b) for both viscous fluids. A transformation is found which reduces the linear stability problem under inviscid approxi…
One of the most prominent dynamical features of turbulent, rapidly-rotating convection is the formation of large-scale coherent structures, driven by Reynolds stresses resulting from the small-scale convective flows. In spherical geometry, such structures consist of intense zonal flows that are invariant along the rotation axis. In planar geometry, long-lived, depth-invariant structures also form at large scales, but, in the absence of horizontal anisotropy, they consist of vortices that grow to the domain size. In this work, through the introduction of horizontal anisotropy into a numerical m…
