Stability and finite amplitude natural convection in a shallow cavity with insulated top and bottom and heated from a side

The stability of laminar natural convection in a shallow cavity has been studied theoretically. The flow is driven by a horizontal temperature gradient between isothermal vertical sidewalls of the cavity, the top and bottom of which are insulated. It was found that for a Prandtl number (Pr) less than 0.033, shear instability causes stationary transverse cells to be formed in the flow. For larger values of Prandtl number the instability sets in as oscillating longitudinal rolls in the range 0.033