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Interferometric investigation of convection in plexiglas boxes

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Abstract

Real-time holographic interferometry is used to study free convection in cavities heated from below and bounded by Plexiglas windows. Advantages and shortcomings of this visualization technique applied to such Plexiglas boxes are discussed. As Plexiglas has a high temperature-dependent refractive index, temperature fields in the windows and the fluid layer are visualized. These visualizations furnished proof of a pronounced thermal influence of the walls on the flow pattern based on what we call “thermal memory” of Plexiglas.

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Abbreviations

a :

absorption

b :

width

cp :

specific heat

d :

gap width

g :

acceleration of gravity

H :

damping factor

h :

height

k :

heat conductivity

l :

length

m :

number

n :

refractive index

Pr :

Prandtl-number, gn/gk

Ra :

Rayleigh number, βgΔT h3 (ν · κ)−1

S :

number of fringes

T :

temperature

ΔT :

temperature difference across h

t :

time

x,y :

Cartesian coordinates

Y :

full width of Hele-Shaw cell

α:

wavenumber

β:

coefficient of thermal expansion

λ:

length

ɛ:

angle

κ:

thermal diffusivity

ν:

kinematic viscosity

ϱ:

density

τ:

dimensionless time, t/(h2/κf)

c :

critical

f :

fluid

osc :

oscillatory

w :

wall

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kemforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, IRB, Postfach 36 40, 7500, Karlsruhe 1, Germany

    J. N. Koster

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  1. J. N. Koster
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Koster, J.N. Interferometric investigation of convection in plexiglas boxes. Experiments in Fluids 1, 121–128 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00272010

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