Transport modes of inertial particles and their effects on flow structures and heat transfer in Rayleigh–Bénard convection

Abstract

We investigate the flow characteristics and kinetic behaviors of particles in turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection particulate flows. Direct numerical simulations combined with a Lagrangian point-particle strategy were carried out in the range of Stokes numbers [Formula: see text] for Rayleigh numbers from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] at the Prandtl number [Formula: see text]. A two-way coupling model is employed in which the momentum exchange between the dispersed particles and the carrier fluid is taken fully into account. Based on various patterns of particle motion, we find three transport modes of inertial particles which are labeled as the circling transport (CCT) mode, the channel transport (CNT) mode, and the downpour transport (DPT) mode, respectively. These modes can switch to each other when Stokes numbers and Rayleigh numbers vary and exhibit different effects of particle motions on the flow field and heat transfer. For the CCT and DPT modes, compared with the CNT, a weakening alteration of flow structures and thermal plumes leads to no significant effect on the transport of momentum and heat. For the CNT mode, a pronounced effect of particles on enhancements of the turbulent momentum transport and heat transfer relates to the strong interaction between the particle clusters and the chaotic structures of eddies. What is more, the particles tend to homogeneously distribute for the CCT and DPT modes, although the particles exhibit different transport states. As for the CNT mode, under both preferential sweeping and centrifugal effects, particles accumulate into clusters that hover toward the region of high strain rate and the edges of eddies. We found that the averaged particle settling speeds are almost proportional to the Stokes number. The particle settling speeds are larger than the terminal velocity of Stokesian particles for the CCT and CNT modes as particles tend to settle in the downward fluid. In contrast, it becomes smaller than the terminal velocity for the DPT mode due to the drag of the upward fluid.