Rayleigh-Bénard Convection Rolls
Parameters
Rayleigh number (Ra):
2000
Prandtl number (Pr):
7.0
Number of rolls:
3
Simulate
Reset
Ra_c = 1708:
—
Nu (Nusselt):
—
Re (Reynolds):
—
Rayleigh-Bénard
: heated from below, cooled from above. Convection onset at Ra = 1708 (Rayleigh 1916).
Ra
= gαΔTd³/(νκ) — buoyancy vs diffusion.
Pr
= ν/κ — momentum vs thermal diffusivity.
Above Ra_c, rolls form; at higher Ra → oscillations → chaos → turbulence.