Holographic interferometry applied to coupled free convection and radiative transfer in a cavity containing a vertical plate between 290 and 650 K

Holographic interferometry has been applied, in the presence of strong beam deflection effects, to the study of the coupling of gas-gas radiative tran sfer and free convection in a 0.9 m(3), isothermal, gastight cavity contain ing an isothermal plate of finite thickness and filled with N-2 or CO2. The cavity is heated in the range 290-650 K with the plate at a higher tempera ture. The focus of this paper is on the validation of an original experimen tal procedure for the determination of thermal fields in the region close t o the plate. Experimental results agree both with independent experimental results using a laser beam deflection technique and, in case of pure free c onvection. with classical bibliography results related to a vertical wall, It has been shown that gas-gas radiative transfer significantly modifies th e temperature field corresponding to free convection and increases the loca l heat transfer coefficient. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights rese rved.