Boundary Layer Heat Transport in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard Convection in Air

Abstract

We study the convective heat transfer in a large-scale Rayleigh-Bénard (RB) experiment which is called the “Barrel of Ilmenau”. We present the results of flow visualization and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the near wall flow field in a plane perpendicular to the surface of the heated bottom plate. The experiment was run in a smaller rectangular inset that was placed inside the larger barrel. The Rayleigh number amounts to Ra=1.4 × 1010. The aspect ratios were Γx=1 in flow direction and Γy=0.26 perpendicular to the vertical flow plane. The measurements have been undertaken using a 2 W continuous wave Laser in combination with a light sheet optics and various cameras. Due to the slender geometry of the cell, the mean wind is confined in one direction where the Laser light sheet is aligned parallel. The flow was seeded with droplets of 1...2 µm size generated using an ordinary fog machine. Flow visualization as well as the PIV data clearly show the intermittent character of the boundary layer flow field that permanently switches between “laminar” and “turbulent” phases.