Rotation and confinement in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection
Robert Hartmann is a PhD student in the department Physics of Fluids. (Co)Promotors are prof.dr. D.Lohse, dr. R.J.A.M. Stevens and prof.dr. R. Verzicco from the faculty Science & Technology.
This dissertation investigates the heat transport and its enhancement in rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection and confined Rayleigh-Bénard convection in various geometries by the use of direct numerical simulations. The geometries range from slender cuboid boxes and cylinders to wide periodic domains to spherical shells. The recurring finding in all geometries is the presence of vertically coherent structures in the bulk for the largest heat transport enhancement. Overall, this thesis shows that, by allowing for an efficient heat transport through the bulk, such vertically coherent flow structures are the second key factor to enhance the heat transport - besides the influence of the ratio of thermal and kinetic boundary layer thicknesses.
