Generalized mean state of the isothermal Darcy–Benard problem and its instability onset

Abstract

Thermally-driven natural convection is theoretically explored in the present work within a porous layer with respect to the Darcy’s law. The usual non circulating basic cellular flow between two infinitely long horizontal Darcy porous plates leads to generalized basic state considering the isothermal boundary conditions leading to the Hadley flow configuration. Such a motion is governed by a circulatory flow together with a temperature both varying along the horizontal axis. Hence, besides the buoyancy Rayleigh parameter, yet another parameter appears dominating the evolution of basic cellular circulation and thermal progress. Instability onset of this basic state is targeted based on the linear stability analysis of small normal modes. The resulting 3D instability system of equations is treated numerically and the stationary modes leading to convective neutral stability are determined. The found eigenvalues are also justified to be those deviating from the well-known no-flow Darcy porous solution through an asymptotic perturbation method in the special circumstances. The bounds of neutral stability curves in regard to the longitudinal, oblique and transverse modes are thoroughly investigated and it is shown that longitudinal modes are always the most unstable ones, while the transverse and oblique modes having finite encapsulated zone of instability can undergo a complete stability after a threshold value of horizontal temperature gradient parameter.