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ISSN Online: 2377-424X

International Heat Transfer Conference 5
September, 3-7, 1974, Tokyo, Japan

THERMAL INSTABILITY OF A SLIGHTLY CONDUCTING LIQUID LAYER IN A VERTICAL ELECTRIC FIELD

Get access (open in a dialog) DOI: 10.1615/IHTC5.3150
pages 173-177

Sinopsis

A uniform vertical electric field applied to a slightly conducting fluid with a vertical temperature gradient has a destabilizing effect. A gradient in electric conductivity resulting from the temperature gradient causes free charges to accumulate in the fluid when the electric field is applied, and the interaction of the charges with the electric field creates a destabilizing electric force in the bulk of the fluid. In the cases considered, the dielectrophoretic force can be neglected compared with the significant electric force due to the free charges. Taking into account the viscosity and thermal diffusivity of the fluid, the threshold conditions for the instability are predicted using linear perturbation theory. It is shown that the instability takes place as an overstability. Predicted threshold conditions for the instability are shown to be in agreement with the experimental results.