Convection in a horizontal layer of water with three diffusing components

Abstract

Triple diffusive convection in water is modelled with properties like density, specific heat, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and thermal expansion, modified in the presence of salts. The Ginzburg–Landau equation is derived to study heat and mass transports of different combinations of salts in water. A table is prepared documenting the actual values of thermophysical properties of water with different salts and the critical Rayleigh number is calculated. This information is used in the estimation of Nusselt and Sherwood numbers and their relative magnitudes are commented upon. A detailed study on different single, double and triple diffusive systems is done and comparison is made of the results. The local nonlinear stability analysis made via a Ginzburg–Landau model mimics many properties of the original governing equations, namely, Hamiltonian character and a bounded solution.