Buoyant convection in radiating horizontal fluid layers

Abstract : Buoyancy driven, two-dimensional convection in a horizontal layer of radiating fluid, confined between isothermal no-slip surfaces, is calculated with a numerical finite difference method. The radiation model was taken to be the grey Milne-Eddington approximation, and the formulation includes quite general radiative boundary conditions. Radiation is found to inhibit convection primarily due to increased stability. For the same ratio of Grashof to critical Grashof numbers, the flow fields are very similar with and without radiation. Convection heat flux can decrease the radiative below its static values. The radiative model employed resulted in essentially the same computing time both with and without radiation. (Author)