Three-dimensional numerical simulation of electro-convection due to strong unipolar charge injection in a cubic cavity

Abstract

The three-dimensional isothermal electro-convection induced by the unipolar charge injection in a cubic enclosure was numerically investigated. All the boundaries were assumed to be rigid. The whole set of electrohydrodynamics (EHD) equations were solved with a finite volume approach. A total-variation-diminishing (TVD) scheme was specially applied to the charge transport equation. A strong injection case with a non-dimensional injection parameter C=10 was considered. The critical electrical Rayleigh number for the onset of the electro-convection is evaluated numerically about 250. A bounded region free of charge was observed.