CORIOLIS-EFFECT ON FREE-CONVECTION IN A LONG ROTATING POROUS BOX SUBJECT TO UNIFORM HEAT-GENERATION

The Coriolis effect on free convection in a long rotating porous box s ubject to uniform heat generation is investigated analytically. A thre e dimensional analytical solution is presented for large values of the porous media Ekman number. The convection results from internal heat generation which produces temperature gradients orthogonal to the cent rifugal body force. Two types of thermal boundary conditions are consi dered for the top and bottom walls of the box. The first type is assoc iated with perfectly conducting boundaries, i.e. the same temperature is imposed on both the top and bottom walls while the second type corr esponds to a perfectly conducting top wall and adiabatic bottom wall. The solution to the nonlinear set of partial differential equations is obtained through an asymptotic expansion of the dependent variables i n terms of two small parameters representing the reciprocal Ekman numb er in porous media and the aspect ratio of the domain. Secondary circu lation in the form of one or two vortices is obtained in a plane ortho gonal to the leading free convection plane.