The Effect of Phase Change of Vapor on the Merging Process of Thermal Convection in the Atmosphere

Abstract

Numerical experiments have been performed to investigate the effect of phase change of a working fluid (H₂O: vapor, cloud and rain) on the merging process of thermal convection in the atmosphere. The following results are obtained.
1) The phase change of H₂O promote the merging of thermal convection. The aspect ratio of a convective cell with phase change is much larger than that without phase change.
2) Convective cells merge and change their wave length more often after reaching the upper boundary than before.