Experimental study of natural convection between two compartments of a stairwell

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.