Mixed convection from a sphere at small Reynolds and Grashof numbers

Abstract

Consideration is given to the effects of gravity which arise when a heated sphere, maintained at a steady uniform temperature, is located in a vertical uniform stream. Restricting analysis to a medium of unit Prandtl number (σ), the method of matched asymptotic expansions is employed in obtaining solutions for the velocity, temperature and pressure fields in the limit: G = o(R2), R ↓ 0 (G and R being, respectively, the Grashof and Reynolds numbers). Based on these results, conjectures are formed about the corresponding pure natural convection problem.