Linear and Nolinear Thermomagnetic convection in ferrofluids

Thermogravitational or free convection occurs under many circumstances and is used in numerous applications. However, its effectiveness greatly diminishes at small length scales as other effects become dominant. Buoyancy-induced convection ceases to be effective in reduced gravity, e.g., in spacecraft. Thermomagnetic convection is a feasible method to augment or suppress free convection for small length scale applications or in hypogravity, but it is not yet fully characterized. A thorough understanding of the relation between an applied magnetic field and the resulting heat transfer is necessary for the proper design and control of thermomagnetic devices.The effect on linear and nonlinear thermomagnetic convection in a ferrofluid layer and also in a ferrofluid saturated porous layer. In the investigation, additional effects such as Coriolis force due to rotation, magnetic field dependent (MFD) viscosity and heterogeneity in the permeability of the porous medium are also considered as they play an important role in understanding control of thermomagnetic convection.