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In fluid mechanics, the Rayleigh number (Ra, after Lord Rayleigh [1]) for a fluid is a dimensionless number associated with buoyancy-driven flow, also known as free (or natural) convection. [2] [3] [4] It characterises the fluid's flow regime: [5] a value in a certain lower range denotes laminar flow; a value in a higher range, turbulent flow.
Dimensionless numbers (or characteristic numbers) have an important role in analyzing the behavior of fluids and their flow as well as in other transport phenomena. [1] They include the Reynolds and the Mach numbers, which describe as ratios the relative magnitude of fluid and physical system characteristics, such as density, viscosity, speed of sound, and flow speed.
The equation is named after Lord Rayleigh, who introduced it in 1880. [2] The Orr–Sommerfeld equation – introduced later, for the study of stability of parallel viscous flow – reduces to Rayleigh's equation when the viscosity is zero. [3] Rayleigh's equation, together with appropriate boundary conditions, most often poses an eigenvalue ...
The critical Rayleigh number can be obtained analytically for a number of different boundary conditions by doing a perturbation analysis on the linearized equations in the stable state. [16] The simplest case is that of two free boundaries, which Lord Rayleigh solved in 1916, obtaining Ra = 27 ⁄ 4 π 4 ≈ 657.51. [ 17 ]
In fluid dynamics, Rayleigh flow (after English physicist Lord Rayleigh) refers to frictionless, non-adiabatic fluid flow through a constant-area duct where the effect of heat transfer is considered. Compressibility effects often come into consideration, although the Rayleigh flow model certainly also applies to incompressible flow .
Pages in category "Dimensionless numbers of fluid mechanics" The following 71 pages are in this category, out of 71 total. ... Rayleigh number; Reduced frequency ...
Where, R ρ is the density stability ratio, Ra T is the thermal Rayleigh number, ... Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 106: 299. Bibcode:1981JFM ...
The difference in the fluid densities divided by their sum is defined as the Atwood number, A. For A close to 0, RT instability flows take the form of symmetric "fingers" of fluid; for A close to 1, the much lighter fluid "below" the heavier fluid takes the form of larger bubble-like plumes. [2]