High Rayleigh Number Laminar Natural Convection in an Asymmetrically Heated Vertical Channel

Abstract

Experiments have been performed to determine local heat transfer data for the natural convective flow of air between vertical parallel plates heated asymmetrically. A uniform heat flux was imposed along one heated wall, with the opposing wall of the channel being thermally insulated. Local temperature data along both walls were collected for a wide range of heating rates and channel wall spacings corresponding to the high modified Rayleigh number natural convection regime. Laminar flow prevailed in all experiments. Correlations are presented for the local Nusselt number as a function of local Grashof number along the channel. The dependence of both average Nusselt number and the maximum heated wall temperature on the modified Rayleigh number is also explored. Results are compared to previous analytical and experimental work with good agreement.