Turbulent Thermal Convection in Liquid Sodium

ORAL

Abstract

We investigate heat transport in a low Prandtl number (Pr=0.0096) fluid in a cylindrical cell of aspect ratio $\raise.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 1$}\kern-.1em/ \kern-.15em\lower.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 2$} $ heated from below. We measure temperature fluctuations and velocity (using ultrasonic velocimetry). In this talk we will discuss the velocity and heat flux dependence on temperature drop. We will also present measurements of plate temperature fluctuations stemming from the large fluid thermal conductivity relative to that of the plate.

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Authors

  • Kaveri Joshi

  • Daniel P. Lathrop

    IREAP, IPST \& Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Dept. of Physics, University of Maryland, IPST, IREAP and Department of Physics, University of Maryland, IREAP, University of Maryland

  • K.R. Sreenivasan

    International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy