Planform structure of turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection

Journal Article · · International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0735-1933(94)90055-8· OSTI ID:7014348

Theerthan, S A; Arakeri, J H ^[1]

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1. Indian Inst. of Science, Bangalore (India). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

The planform structure of turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection is obtained from visualizing a liquid crystal sheet stuck to the bottom hot surface. The bottom plate of the convection cell is Plexiglas and the top plate is glass. Water is the test liquid and the Rayleigh number is 4 [times] 10[sup 7]. The planform pattern reveals randomly moving hot streaks surrounded by cold regions suggesting that turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection is dominated by quasi-two-dimensional randomly moving plumes. Simultaneous temperature traces from two vertically separated thermocouples indicate that these plumes may be inclined forward in the direction of horizontal motion. The periodic eruption of thermals observed by Sparrow et al and which forms the basis of Howard's model is not observed.

• OSTI ID: 7014348
• Journal Information: International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer; (United States), Journal Name: International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer; (United States) Vol. 21:4; ISSN 0735-1933; ISSN IHMTDL
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
CONVECTION
DATA
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLOW VISUALIZATION
FLUID FLOW
HEAT TRANSFER
INFORMATION
MASS TRANSFER
NUMERICAL DATA
PLUMES
TURBULENT FLOW