Title: Flow patterns induced by thermocapillary effect in a thin free liquid film of a high Prandtl number fluid

Authors: D. Limsukhawat; Y. Dekio; K. Ikebukuro; C. Hong; I. Ueno

Addresses: Division of Mechanical Engineering, School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-8510, Japan ' Division of Mechanical Engineering, School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-8510, Japan ' Division of Mechanical Engineering, School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-8510, Japan ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology; Research Institute for Science and Technology (RIST), Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-8510, Japan ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology; Research Institute for Science and Technology (RIST), Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-8510, Japan

Abstract: We focus on the thermocapillary convection in a thin free liquid film by a three-dimensional numerical simulation. Discussion on flow patterns induced in the liquid film is made as functions of the liquid-layer aspect ratios and the intensity of thermocapillary effect. It is found that 'hydrothermal wave' instability predicted in a thin liquid film sustained in a cavity by Smith and Davis (J. Fluid Mech., 1983) does emerge in a double-layered flow in a thin free liquid film as observed in the terrestrial experiments by the present authors' group. We introduce detailed structures of the flows and their occurring conditions against aspect ratios and intensity of thermocapillary effect.

Keywords: thermocapillary convection; free liquid films; hydrothermal waves; fluid flow patterns; thin films; high Prandtl number; numerical simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2013.053654

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2013 Vol.13 No.3/4, pp.132 - 140

Published online: 31 Oct 2013 *

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