The present laboratory study is focused on the role of convective rolls in the enhancement of the heat flux from the sea and triggering of the process of rapid intensification of tropical cyclones. The appearance of coherent convective structures such as thermals and rolls is registered by different optical techniques and temperature measurements. Two-dimensional velocity fields are used for the investigation of the structure and characteristics of the flow. The heat flux from the heating plate to the fluid is measured directly. Obtained results clearly show that rapid intensification of a laboratory analog of a tropical cyclone is tightly linked with the heat transfer process in the boundary layer. Formation of secondary convective structures strongly increases the heat transfer and intensity of convective circulations. The intensity of radial inflow is a crucial aspect for the intensification of cyclonic vortex, hence rapid variation of the heat transfer is a factor that has a substantial influence on the dynamics of a laboratory vortex. Time series of maximal radial and azimuthal velocities are in a good qualitative agreement with those from a theoretical model. It is shown that the mean square of the velocity depends linearly on the temperature difference between the inflow and the heating surface.

中文翻译：

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水平滚动在热带气旋快速增强中的重要性

本实验室研究的重点是对流卷在增强来自海洋的热通量和触发热带气旋快速增强过程中的作用。通过不同的光学技术和温度测量记录相干对流结构（如热流和滚动）的出现。二维速度场用于研究流动的结构和特性。直接测量从加热板到流体的热通量。获得的结果清楚地表明，实验室模拟热带气旋的快速增强与边界层中的传热过程密切相关。二次对流结构的形成极大地增加了对流循环的传热和强度。径向流入的强度是气旋涡流增强的一个关键方面，因此传热的快速变化是对实验室涡流动力学产生重大影响的一个因素。最大径向和方位角速度的时间序列与理论模型中的那些具有很好的定性一致性。结果表明，速度的均方与流入和受热面之间的温差呈线性关系。