Vol. 11 No. 3 (2012): Mapana Journal of Sciences
Research Articles

Study of Thermal Convection in Micropolar Fluids Occupying a Rectangular Box

  • S Manjunath,
  • N P Chandrashekara
S Manjunath
Department of Mathematics, B N M Institute of Technology, Banashankari II Stage, Bangalore -560070, India,
N P Chandrashekara
Department of Mathematics, B N M. Institute of Technology, Banashankari II Stage, Bangalore -560070, India.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12723/mjs.22.8

Published 2012-08-06

Keywords

  • Benard convection,
  • critical Rayleigh number,
  • Fourier series,
  • micropolar fluid,
  • aspect ratio.

Abstract

This paper is a Fourier–series assisted numerical study of two–dimensional steady thermal convection in micropolar fluid occupying a rectangular box. The horizontal walls of the cavity are uniformly heated to establish a linear temperature in the vertical direction. The vertical walls are insulated. The critical Rayleigh number is obtained numerically as a function of coupling parameter, couple stress parameter and aspect ratio, and the same is plotted graphically. The results of slender vertical, rectangular and square box of finite aspect ratio are obtained as limiting cases of the study.

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