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Transient buoyant convection in a ventilated box filled with a porous medium

  • Author / Creator
    Moradi, Ali
  • We examine the transient evolution of a negatively buoyant, laminar plume in an emptying filling box containing a uniform porous medium. In the long time limit, τ→∞, the box is partitioned into two uniform layers of different densities. However, the approach towards steady state is characterized by a lower contaminated layer that is continuously stratified. The presence of this continuous stratification poses nontrivial analytical challenges; we nonetheless demonstrate that it is possible to derive meaningful bounds on the range of possible solutions particularly in the limit of large μ, where μ represents the ratio of the draining to filling timescales. The validity of our approach is confirmed by drawing comparisons against the free turbulent plume case where, unlike with porous media plumes, an analytical solution that accounts for the time-variable continuous stratification of the lower layer is available (Baines & Turner, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 37, 1969, pp. 51-80; Germeles, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 71, 1975, pp. 601-623). A separate component of our study considers time-variable forcing where the laminar plume source strength changes abruptly with time. When the source is turned on and off with a half-period, Δτ, the depth and reduced gravity of the contaminated layer oscillate between two extrema after the first few cycles. Different behaviour is seen when the source is merely turned up or down. For instance, a change of the source reduced gravity leads to a permanent change of interface depth, which is a qualitative point of difference from the free turbulent plume case.

  • Subjects / Keywords
  • Graduation date
    Spring 2017
  • Type of Item
    Thesis
  • Degree
    Master of Science
  • DOI
    https://doi.org/10.7939/R3Z31P14M
  • License
    This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.