2D AND 3D NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF A CONVECTIVE FLOW WITH A FREE-FLOATING IMMERSED BODY

Simulations of turbulent convective flow in a rectangular cell, in which a circular or rectangular heat-insulating plate floats freely at a given depth, are carried out in 3D and 2D formulations. It is shown that the structure of the emerging flow in the three-dimensional and two-dimensional formulations differs significantly, but the integral characteristics of convective flow and displacements of the immersed body are quite close. 3D modeling revealed flow asymmetry associated with the existence of large-scale fluid circulation despite the presence of oscillatory motions of the floating body.