Convection in a long cavity with differentially heated end walls

The fluid-filled long cavity with differentially heated end walls is a common and simple model for hows both in the environment and in technical applications. A delineation of the how regime showing confined Bowing layers from those showing cavity-filling counter currents is provided. Theoretical considerations yield a description of the Bowing layer thickness and an approximate value for the longitudinal temperature gradient in the core of the tank. This way, a good description of the major features in the long cavity is achieved, which is confirmed by experimental data. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.