Effect of Polymer Additives on Heat Transport in Turbulent Thermal Convection

Abstract

In this Letter, we explore the possible effects of polymer additives on heat transport in turbulent thermal convective flows. Using both direct numerical simulations and shell-model calculations, we show that polymer additives can significantly enhance the heat transport in homogeneous turbulent thermal convection, which mimics the bulk of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection. We also discuss the implication of our results for turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection, in which there are boundary layers in addition to the central bulk.