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ISSN Online: 2379-1748

9th Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference (TFEC)
April, 21-24, 2024, Corvallis, OR, USA

THE ROLE OF ASPECT RATIO ON RAYLEIGH-BENARD CELL FORMATION FOR THE PLANETARY CLOUD AEROSOL RESEARCH FACILITY

Get access (open in a dialog) pages 881-890
DOI: 10.1615/TFEC2024.fnd.050530

Abstract

Rayleigh-Benard Convection (RBC), a phenomenon involving the motion of fluids due to temperature differences, plays a crucial role in cloud formation on planets and moons within our solar system, as well as exoplanets. This study examines the influence of enclosure aspect ratios on the behavior and development of Benard cells in cloud formation processes. The aim of the study is to guide the design of the planetary experimental cloud shroud of NASA's novel Planetary Cloud Aerosol Research Facility (PCARF). The Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis is performed in ANSYS Fluent commercial software on a 3D domain based on the governing equations of continuity, momentum, and heat equation. The Rayleigh number (Ra), a non-dimensional ratio of buoyancy and viscous forces in the fluid, serves as an indicator of convection intensity. This research investigates the impact of aspect ratios (2, 1, and 0.67) on Bénard cell behavior for Ra of 104 and 109, utilizing nitrogen gas as the representative atmospheric component. Preliminary findings, derived from modeling RBC reveal a correlation between aspect ratio and key properties, including velocity, vorticity, and turbulent kinetic energy. Higher aspect ratios corresponded to increased values of these properties, suggesting intensified convection and potential implications for cloud formation across celestial bodies. The outcome of this study contributes to our understanding of fundamental cloud formation in planetary conditions. These findings may have implications for the design of future planetary experiments and enhance our knowledge of cloud systems in our solar system and beyond.