A two-dimensional time-dependent model for surface shear and buoyancy-driven flows in domains with large aspect ratio

✍ Scribed by SumonK. Sinha; Subrata Sengupta

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 78 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0895-7177
• DOI: 10.1016/0895-7177(89)90217-3

✦ Synopsis

A two-dimensional numerical model has been developed for studying flows in enclosures having a large length-to-depth ratio. The model solves the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes and energy equations subject to hydrostatic, Boussinesq, and rigid-lid assumptions.

Turbulent momentum and heat diffusion are incorporated using variable eddy coefficients. The flow is driven by surface wind shear and heat transfer. Two cases were run for a rectangular domain, subject to a suddenly imposed surface shear stress while the surface and bottom were mainained at two different but constant temperatures.

The difference between the cases was the formulation used for predicting the eddy viscosities and diffusivities. The variations of velocities and :emperatures with time were studied. Both velocities and temperatures were found to undergo a sudden rapid change, after an initial period of slow change. before attaining steady state. This has been explained in light of the differences in the convective and diffusive time scales and the nature of coupling between the governing equations.