An Experimental Study on the Effect of Partition Angle on Free Convection Heat Transfer in a Partition Cavity by Laser Interferometry Method

Steady state two-dimensional free convection heat transfer in a partitioned cavity with adiabatic horizontal and isothermally vertical walls and an adiabatic partition has been investigated experimentally. The experiments have been carried out using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The effects of the angel of the adiabatic partition and Rayleigh number on the heat transfer from the heated wall are investigated. Experiments are performed for the values of Rayleigh number based on the cavity side length in the range between 1.5×10⁵ to 4.5×10⁵ and various angle of the partition with respect to horizon from 0° to 90°. The results indicate that at each angle of the adiabatic partition, by increasing the Rayleigh number, the average Nusselt number and heat transfer increase and at each Rayleigh number, the maximum and the minimum heat transfer occur at θ=45° and θ=90°, respectively. A correlation based on the experimental data for the average Nusselt number of the heated wall as a function of Rayleigh number and the angel of the adiabatic partition is presented in the aforementioned ranges.