Thermal and electrohydrodynamic plumes: a compartive study

This paper deals with self similar thermal and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) plumes. The former arises from hot lines or points, whereas the latter arises when sharp metallic contours submerged in non conducting liquids support high electrostatic potential, resulting in charge injection. Although the motive force is buoyancy in one case and Coulomb force in the other, it is shown that the solution for EHD plumes is the same as for thermal plumes in the limit of large Prandtl numbers. We present the analysis of axisymmetric plumes for large values of Prandtl number, and this analysis is subsequently applied to EHD plumes. The validity of the approximations for EHD plumes is discussed in the light of experimental data.Ministerio de ciencia y tecnología PB93-118

Complex flow patterns at the onset of annular electroconvection in a dielectric liquid subjected to an arbitrary unipolar injection

We numerically investigated the annular electroconvection that takes place in a dielectric liquid lying between two concentric cylinder electrodes. A uniform injection of arbitrary strengths either from the inner or outer cylinder introduces free charge carriers into the system, and the resulting Coulomb force induces electroconvection. The problem is characterized by a linear instability that corresponds to the onset of flow motion. The linear stability criteria were determined from direct numerical results and by linear stability analysis, and the results obtained with the two approaches show an excellent agreement. We focused on the fully developed flow pattern in the finite amplitude regime. We observed very different flow motions that were highly dependent on the injection strength.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología FIS2011-25161Junta de Andalucía P10-FQM-5735Junta de Andalucía P09-FQM-458

On two-dimensional finite amplitude electro-convection in a dielectric liquid induced by a strong unipolar injection

The hydrodynamic stability of a dielectric liquid subjected to strong unipolar injection is numerically investigated. We determined the linear criterion Tc (T being the electric Rayleigh number) and finite amplitude one Tf over a wide range of the mobility parameter M. A noticeable discrepancy is shown for Tf between our numerical prediction and the value predicted by stability analysis, which is due to the velocity field used in stability analysis. Recent studies revealed a transition of the flow structure from one cell to two with an increase in T. We demonstrate that this transition results in a new subcritical bifurcationMinisterio de Ciencia y Tecnología FIS2011-25161Junta de Andalucía P10-FQM-5735Junta de Andalucía P09-FQM-458

Onset of convection in a finite two-dimensional container due to unipolar injection of ions

This work addresses the stability of a two-dimensional plane layer of a dielectric liquid enclosed in wall bounded cavities of different aspect ratios and subjected to unipolar injection of ions. Numerical simulations have been conducted to investigate the effect of lateralwalls, especially in the development of the electroconvective instability. It is found that an unexpected change of the bifurcation nature occurs for certain cavity aspect ratios. We showthat above the linear stability threshold for the rest state a supercritical bifurcation arises. This bifurcation takes place at a given value Tc1 of the parameter T (the electric Rayleigh number). Then, a second subcritical bifurcation occurs at a second threshold Tc2, featuring a typical hysteresis loop with an associated nonlinear criterion Tf , which is very characteristic of the Coulomb-driven convection. This behavior has been confirmed by different numerical codes based on different numerical methods. The physical mechanism which leads to this situation is analyzed and discussed. The evolution of the bifurcation diagrams with the aspect ratio of the cavity is also provided and analyzed.Ministerio de ciencia y tecnología FIS2011-25161Junta de Andalucía P10-FQM-5735Junta de Andalucía P09-FQM-458

Electroconvection in a dielectric liquid between two concentric half-cylinders with rigid walls: Linear and nonlinear analysis

We study the linear stability and nonlinear behavior of the electroconvection between two concentric halfcylinders with no-slip conditions on all boundaries. The no-slip condition makes impossible to apply the standard modal approach. Hence, we apply a finite element technique similar to the one we have used in a previous paper about the electroconvection in a rectangular enclosed domain. When compared to the classical problem of electroconvection between two full concentric cylinders, the linear criterion is higher, due to the viscous shear introduced by the lateral walls. As a consequence, the structure of the eigenmodes is very different. There is a repulsion between modeswith the same symmetry, forcing pairs of modes to cross each other repeatedly. For inner injection and small value of the ratio between the inner and outer radii the no-slip condition changes the nature of the bifurcation from subcritical to supercritical, while it is always subcritical for outer injection. To understand this behavior, we perform a modal analysis using the eigenfunctions obtained from the linear stability analysis as modal basis. We show that the supercritical branch is originated by the nonorthogonality of the modes when no-slip boundary conditions are imposed. These mechanism explains the previously unexplained appearance of the supercritical branch in the enclosed rectangular configuration.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad FIS2014-54539-

Electrohydrodynamic linear stability analysis of dielectric liquids subjected to unipolar injection in a rectangular enclosure with rigid sidewalls

We investigate the linear stability threshold of a dielectric liquid subjected to unipolar injection in a 2D rectangular enclosure with rigid boundaries. A finite element formulation transforms the set of linear partial differential equations that governs the system into a set of algebraic equations. The resulting system poses an eigenvalue problem. We calculate the linear stability threshold, as well as the velocity field and charge density distribution, as a function of the aspect ratio of the domain. The stability parameter as a function of the aspect ratio describes paths of symmetry-breaking bifurcation. The symmetry properties of the different linear modes determine whether these paths cross each other or not. The resulting structure has important consequences in the non-linear behavior of the system after the bifurcation points.Ministerio de ciencia y tecnología FIS2011-25161Junta de Andalucía P10-FQM-5735Junta de Andalucía P09-FQM-458

Finite amplitude electroconvection induced by strong unipolar injection between two coaxial cylinders

We perform a theoretical and numerical study of the Coulomb-driven electroconvection flow of a dielectric liquid between two coaxial cylinders. The specific case where the inner to outer diameter ratio is 0.5 is analyzed. A strong unipolar injection of ions either from the inner or outer cylinder is considered to introduce free charger carriers into the system. A finite volume method is used to solve all governing equations including Navier-Stokes equations and a simplified set of Maxwell’s equations. The flow is characterized by a subcritical bifurcation in the finite amplitude regime. A linear stability criterion and a nonlinear one that correspond to the onset and stop of the flow motion, respectively, are linked with a hysteresis loop. In addition, we also explore the behavior of the system for higher values of the stability parameter. For inner injection, we observe a transition between the patterns made of 7 and 8 pairs of cells, before an oscillatory regime is attained. Such a transition leads to a second finite amplitude stability criterion. A simple modal analysis reveals that the competition of different modes is at the origin of this behavior. The charge density as well as velocity field distributions are provided to help understanding the bifurcation behavior.Ministerio de ciencia y tecnología FIS2011-25161Junta de Andalucía P10-FQM-5735Junta de Andalucía P09-FQM-458

A generalized Holling type II model for the interaction between dextral-sinistral snails and Pareas snakes

Producción CientíficaPareatic snakes possess outstanding asymmetry in the mandibular tooth number, which has probably been caused by its evolution to improve the feeding on the predominant dextral snails. Gene mutation can generate chiral inversion on the snail body. A sinistral snail population can thrive in this ecological context. The interactions between dextral/sinistral snails and Pareas snakes are modeled in this paper by using a new generalized functional response of Holling type II. Distinct Pareas species show different bilateral asymmetry degrees. This parameter plays an essential role in our model and determines the evolution of the populations. Stability of the solutions is also analyzed for different regimes in the space of parameters.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (grant MTM2014-57129-C2-1-P)Junta de Castilla y Leon (grant VA057U16

Dynamics of EHD Laminar Plumes: scaling analysis and integral model

In this paper electrohydrodynamic (EHD) plumes are examined in the region far from the injecting electrode and the collector plate, for both two-dimensional and axisymmetric geometries. The relative importance of the conduction mechanisms (convection, drift and diffusion of electric charge) is analyzed. Diffusion turns out to be negligible compared to convection and drift for the experimental conditions. But the transverse drift (Coulomb repulsion) is of the same order of magnitude than convection. We find a set of three differential equations giving the evolution of the velocity at the center of the plume and the widths of the plume and the charged core inside.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología PB96-137

Numerical Study of a Plane Poiseuille Channel Flow of a Dielectric Liquid Subjected to Unipolar Injection

In this paper, the interaction between a plane Poiseuille channel flow and an electroconvective movement induced by the electric field is numerically investigated. A flow is generated by an inlet parabolic profile in a rectangular duct. Space charges are injected in the flow through a metallic electrode placed on one of the channel walls and brought to a given potential. Transient numerical simulations have been carried out to investigate the structure of the flow. The entire set of the coupled Navier-Stokes and EHD equations is solved using an efficient finite volume technique. The behavior of the flow subjected to an applied voltage between the two electrodes is analyzed and time evolution of the charge density distributions is presented. The interaction between the convective movement induced by space charge injection and electric field and the mainstream flow, emphasizes the appearance of periodic transverse traveling waves convected in the channel. The dynamic of the flow through the variation of the ionic mobility parameter M is investigated. For a given Reynolds number and ionoc mobility parameter M it exists a threshold value Tc of the instability parameters T above which the transverse traveling rolls appear or not. When T is increased, different flow regimes have been highlighted starting from a complete steady state up to a fully unsteady electro-plumes flow configuration