Experimental study of natural convection between two compartments of a stairwell

S. Ergin-Özkan*, M. R. Mokhtarzadeh-Dehghan, A. J. Reynolds

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The study describes an experimental study of buoyancy-driven flow between lower and upper compartments of a stairwell model with through-flow via two small openings, one as the inlet located in the lower compartment and the other as the outlet, in the upper compartment. The driving force for the flow is the energy input from a heater located in the lower compartment. The emphasis of the paper is on the effect of the outlet size on the fluid flow and energy transfer between the two compartments and on the heat losses from the stairwell to the surrounding. The velocity and temperature profiles at various cross sections of the stairwell are presented and discussed. The results also include the gross parameters of the flow such as the mass flow rates of the upflow and downflow and the effects of the opening size on them. The results show significant influence of the opening size on the fluid flow and energy transfers within the stairwell.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2159-2168
Number of pages10
JournalInternational Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer
Volume38
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 1995
Externally publishedYes

Funding

Acknowledgements-S. Ergin-ozkan gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by Cukurova University, Turkey during her Ph.D. studies in the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Brunei University.

FundersFunder number
Cukurova University
Department of Mechanical Engineering of Brunei University

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