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Centrifugal convection with oscillating rotating velocity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2025

Jun Zhong Open the ORCID record for Jun Zhong [Opens in a new window] ,
Junyi Li Open the ORCID record for Junyi Li [Opens in a new window] ,
Quan Zhou Open the ORCID record for Quan Zhou [Opens in a new window]  and
Chao Sun Open the ORCID record for Chao Sun [Opens in a new window]
Jun Zhong
Affiliation:
New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Center for Combustion Energy, Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
Junyi Li
Affiliation:
New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Center for Combustion Energy, Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
Quan Zhou*
Affiliation:
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072, PR China
Chao Sun*
Affiliation:
New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Center for Combustion Energy, Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
*
Corresponding authors: Chao Sun, chaosun@tsinghua.edu.cn; Quan Zhou, qzhou@shu.edu.cn
Corresponding authors: Chao Sun, chaosun@tsinghua.edu.cn; Quan Zhou, qzhou@shu.edu.cn
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Abstract

We perform direct numerical simulations of centrifugal convection with an oscillating rotational velocity of small amplitude to study the effects of oscillatory boundary motion. The oscillation period is the main control parameter, with its range corresponding to a Womersley number in the range $1\lt Wo\lt 300$. Oscillating boundaries generate a circumferential shear flow, which significantly inhibits heat transfer, with maximum suppression $87\,\%$ observed in the present parameter space. Through analysis of the background flow, we find that as the oscillation period increases, the increasing penetration depth of the oscillation and weakening local shear strength result in non-monotonic changes in heat transfer. Under high-frequency oscillation, the characteristic length scale of the viscous layer induced by the oscillation is smaller than the convective length scale, and shear manifests primarily as a continuous suppression of the boundary layer. In contrast, under low-frequency oscillation, the shear flow covers the entire region but with weak strength. The suppression effect of such shear flow exhibits periodicity, leading to alternating phases of convection inhibition and convection generation. The present findings explore the physical mechanisms behind the suppression of convective heat transfer by oscillation, and offer a new strategy for controlling convection systems, with potential implications for both fundamental research and industrial applications.

JFM classification

Convection: Plumes/thermals Turbulent Flows: Turbulent convection
Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 1010 , 10 May 2025 , A17
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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