SIMULATION OF 2-DIMENSIONAL, LOW-PR NATURAL-CONVECTION IN HARMONICALLY OSCILLATED, DIFFERENTIALLY HEATED ENCLOSURES

This study deals with the interaction between (1) buoyancy-induced con vection within a liquid metal that is housed in a square, differential ly heated enclosure and (2) externally imposed excitation in the form of harmonic rocking about the enclosure centerpoint. The superposition of buoyancy and Coriolis forces leads to complex fluid flow and heat transfer. The transition to chaotic convection is accelerated, and hea t transfer rates are reduced as the enclosure is excited at the fundam ental frequency of oscillation associated with the pure buoyancy-drive n case. Average heat transfer rates are correlated for Pr = 0.02 and 0 .03 liquids, with heat transfer being more sensitive to external rocki ng for the Pr = 0.03 case.