Polymer heat transport enhancement in thermal convection: the case of Rayleigh-Taylor turbulence.
We study the effects of polymer additives on turbulence generated by the ubiquitous Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Numerical simulations of complete viscoelastic models provide clear evidence that the heat transport is enhanced up to 50% with respect to the Newtonian case. This phenomenon is accompanied by a speed-up of the mixing layer growth. We give a phenomenological interpretation of these results based on small-scale turbulent reduction induced by polymers.
Boffetta
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Dipartimento di Fisica Generale and INFN, Università di Torino, via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy.
Mazzino
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Musacchio
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Vozella
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