Experiments on natural convection in enclosures with localized heating from below

Abstract

An experimental study was made of the steady-state natural convection induced in enclosures by a small hot spot centrally located on the floor. Enclosures of rectangular and circular floor plan were employed, with height equal to one-half the major dimension of the floor plan. The movement of air within the chambers was made visible by adding metaldehyde dust particles and illuminating them with an intense light beam. The Grashof number (Gr) based on hot-spot temperature and enclosure height ranged from 8 × 105 to 1 × 1010. Laminar flows were observed for Gr [lsim ] 1.2 × 109. The experimental flows in the circular chamber are compared in a companion paper with theoretically calculated flows (Torrance & Rockett 1969). In the region of laminar flows the agreement was excellent. The present paper notes certain similarities in the flows in rectangular and circular geometries. The disturbing effect of a slight heating of one wall of the rectangular enclosure was also investigated. Measurements were made of heat transfer from the hot spot to the air in the chamber.