Numerical and experimental study of free convection above a sinusoidal horizontal plate

A numerical and experimental analysis is performed to study the laminar free convection above a horizontal plate facing upward subjected to an uniform heat flux. The surface of the plate, in contact with the fluid, is described by a sinusoidal profile. The natural convection equations are discretized, using an implicit finite difference technique, based on the finite volume approach. The SIMPLE algorithm assumes the linkage between velocities and pressure fields. The top and the lateral boundaries of the space, where free convection is developing, are determined by using an iterative procedure. The temperature fields of the fluid, over the plate, are visualized by an experimental device, which can realize a simultaneous measurement of the temperature and the position. Qualitative information about the natural convection flow above the plate is obtained by using a laser tomography technique. The numerical results show that the flow and the heat transfer are strongly affected by the amplitude, the period of the sinusoidal profile and the type of fluid. Comparisons between numerical and experimental results show a good qualitative agreement.