Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a thermocline based thermal storage tank

Manu, KV and Deshmukh, Pranit and Basu, Saptarshi (2016) Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a thermocline based thermal storage tank. In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THERMAL SCIENCES, 100 . pp. 333-345.

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Abstract

Numerical simulations are performed to study the stability characteristics of a molten salt thermocline storage unit. Perturbations are introduced into a stable flow field in such a way as to make the top-fluid heavier than the fluid at the bottom, thereby causing a possible instability in the system. The evolution pattern of the various disturbances are examined in detail. Disturbances applied for short duration get decayed before they could reach the thermocline, whereas medium and long duration disturbances evolve into a ``falling spike'' or ``stalactite-like'' structure and destabilize the thermocline. Rayleigh Taylor instability is observed inside the storage tank. The effect of the duration, velocity and temperature of the disturbance on thermocline thickness and penetration length are studied. A quadratic time dependence of penetration length was observed. New perspectives on thermocline breakdown phenomena are obtained from the numerical flow field. (C) 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THERMAL SCIENCES
Publisher:	ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER
Additional Information:	Copy right for this article belongs to the ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER, 23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE
Keywords:	Thermocline; Rayleigh Taylor Instability; Thermocline decay
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Mechanical Engineering
Date Deposited:	17 Feb 2016 05:06
Last Modified:	17 Feb 2016 05:06
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/53222

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