Dynamic Characteristics of Thermal Stratification Build-up by Unsteady Natural Convection

비정상 자연대류에 의한 온도성층화의 동특성에 관한 연구

Dynamic characteristics of thermally-forced stratification process in a square enclosure with a linear temperature profile at the side walls have been investigated through flow visualization experiment and numerical analysis. The experiment was performed on air with the Rayleigh numbers of order $10^5$. A particle tracer method is used for the flow visualization and to obtain a sudden linear temperature profile at the side walls copper blocks which already have a linear temperature profile are come into contact with the thin copper plates of the test section. Immediately a meridional circulation is developed and heat transfer takes place from the wall to the interior region by circulation of fluid and finally a thermal stratification is achieved. In the numerical study, QUICK scheme for convective terms, SIMPLE algorithm for pressure correction, and the implicit method for the time marching are adopted for the integration of conservation equations. Comparison of flow visualization and numerical results shows that the developing flow patterns are very similar in dynamic nature even though there is a time lag due to the inevitable time delay in setting up a linear temperature profile. For high Rayleigh numbers, the oscillatory motion is likely to take place and stratified region is extended. However, initial temperature adjustment process is much slower than that for low Rayleigh numbers.