Flow patterns and heat transfer in a dielectric liquid inside a planar capacitor under microgravity conditions

Abstract

Heat transfer in a planar capacitor containing a dielectric liquid subject to an increasing high-frequency voltage and a fixed temperature gradient under microgravity is investigated using direct numerical simulations. When the intensity of the applied voltage exceeds a critical value, the dielectrophoretic force induces thermoelectric convection in the form of stationary vortices. The increase in the voltage leads to different types of convective patterns and to the increase in the heat transfer coefficient between the electrodes of the capacitor.