Experimental investigation of natural convection in a vertical rib-roughened channel with asymmetric heating

• The presence of ribs in a vertical asymmetrically heated channel has been studied.
• Three positions of rib have been considered.
• PIV experimental analysis has been developed.
• The influence of ribs position on velocity profiles, vortex structures and heat transfer has been highlighted.

An experimental study in an open-ended vertical channel is carried out in order to describe the fluid dynamics and heat transfer of transient free convection inside a vertical rib-roughened channel asymmetrically heated at various uniform heat fluxes (650, 700, and 780 W/m2) corresponding to various modified Rayleigh numbers (3.65 × 106, 3.93 × 106 and 4.4 × 106). Two ribs are symmetrically located on each wall. The investigations focused more specifically on the influence of the ribs positions inside the channel and the modified Rayleigh number (Ra*) both in steady-state regime and during the transitional phase occurring just after the start of the heating on the flow structure and the heat transfer performance. The results showed the appearance of large-scale flow instabilities which will develop and propagate until the development of the pocket-like vortex (reversed flow). Also, the formation and breakup of recirculation eddies, vortex banishment, besides that a separation and shifting of the boundary layer from one wall to another are identified. The best position of the ribs for heat extraction depends on the magnitude of the Rayleigh number. In that case, the top position is the optimal position for the small and the moderate modified Rayleigh numbers.