Turbulent mixed convection in vertical and horizontal channels

Turbulent shear flows driven by a combination of a pressure gradient and buoyancy forcing are investigated using direct numerical simulations. Specifically, we consider the set-up of a differentially heated vertical channel subject to a Poiseuille-like horizontal pressure gradient. We explore the response of the system to its three control parameters: the Grashof number Gr, the Prandtl number Pr, and the Reynolds number Re of the pressure-driven flow. From these input parameters, the relative strength of buoyancy driving to the pressure gradient can be quantified by the Richardson number Ri = Gr/Re². We compare the response of the mixed vertical convection configuration to that of mixed Rayleigh–Bénard convection, and find a nearly identical behaviour, including an increase in wall friction at higher Gr, and a drop in the heat flux relative to natural convection for Ri = O(1). This closely matched response is despite vastly different flow structures in the systems. No large-scale organisation is visible in visualisations of mixed vertical convection – an observation that is confirmed quantitatively by spectral analysis. This analysis, combined with a statistical description of the wall heat flux, highlights how moderate shear suppresses the growth of small-scale plumes and reduces the likelihood of extreme events in the local wall heat flux. Vice versa, starting from a pure shear flow, the addition of thermal driving enhances the drag due to the emission of thermal plumes.