Unlocking the Mystery of Convective Turbulence and Heat Transfer
Recent research has revealed a new mechanism of heat transfer in convective turbulence. The findings, published in Physical Review Letters, provide a better understanding of the process of heat transfer in turbulent fluids.
The process of heat transfer in turbulent fluids is complex, and until now, researchers have been unsure of the exact mechanisms at play. However, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has now identified a new mechanism of heat transfer in convective turbulence. The team found that when a fluid is subjected to convective turbulence, the thermal energy is distributed in a non-uniform way, creating hot and cold pockets of air. The researchers found that the hot pockets of air are then pushed away by the turbulence, resulting in a transfer of thermal energy from the hot pockets to the colder ones. This process, the researchers suggest, could explain the transfer of thermal energy in turbulent fluids.
source: Phys.org