An experimental investigation of the velocity field due to a line heat source
Abstract
The velocity field of a laminar natural convection plume above a horizontal line heat source in water was investigated experimentally using laser Doppler anemometry. Vertical velocity profiles in the plume were obtained at varying rates of energy input and at varying distances from the line heat source. The experimental results showed that existing analytical models fail to predict the velocity field in the plume, but do predict accurately the lateral diffusion of vertical velocity if the velocity field is normalized by the plume centerline velocity. The variation of plume centerline velocity with the rate of energy input to the line source was found to be a power law variation with a power of .537 instead of the .4 power predicted by the analytical model. The velocity profiles were found to be similarity profiles. End effects due to the finiteness of the line heat source were determined to be limited to the outer ten per cent of the semispan of the line heat source.
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- 1975
- Bibcode:
- 1975PhDT........19N
- Keywords:
-
- Convection Currents;
- Heat Sources;
- Plumes;
- Velocity Measurement;
- Bubbles;
- Doppler Effect;
- Lasers;
- Velocity Distribution;
- Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer