Dynamics in a stably stratified tilted square cavity

Abstract

The dynamics of a fluid flow in a differentially heated square container is investigated numerically. Two opposite conducting walls are maintained at constant temperatures, one hot and the other cold, and the other two walls are insulated. When the conducting walls are horizontal with the lower one cold, the static linearly stratified state is stable. When the container is tilted, the static equilibrium ceases to exist and the fluid flows due to the baroclinic torque arising from the bending of isotherms near the tilted insulated walls. This flow is found to be steady for tilt angles less than , the nature of the instability changes, corresponding to that of the well-studied laterally heated cavity flow.