Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-9nwgx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-23T08:09:14.416Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Laminar starting plumes in high-Prandtl-number fluids

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2003

EDOUARD KAMINSKI  and
CLAUDE JAUPART
EDOUARD KAMINSKI
Affiliation:
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris 7–Denis Diderot, Paris, France
CLAUDE JAUPART
Affiliation:
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris 7–Denis Diderot, Paris, France
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Experimental studies of laminar axisymmetric starting plumes are performed to investigate the dependence of the flow on the Prandtl number, focusing on large Prandtl numbers. Thermal plumes are generated by a small electric heater in a glass tank filled with viscous oils. Prandtl numbers in the range of 7–104 were investigated. Experimental conditions are such that viscosity variations due to temperature differences are negligible. Plumes ascend in two different regimes as a function of distance to source. At short distances, the plumes accelerate owing to the development of the viscous boundary layer. At distances larger than about five times the heater size, the ascent velocity is constant and increases as a function of the Prandtl number, as predicted by theory for steady plumes. This velocity is, within experimental error, proportional to the steady plume centreline velocity.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 478 , 10 March 2003 , pp. 287 - 298
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press