NATURAL-CONVECTION HEAT-TRANSFER FROM SINUSOIDAL WAVY SURFACES

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the natural convection heat transfer characteristics of sinusoidal wavy surfaces on vertical plates maintained at a constant temperature. Local heat transfer coefficients were obtained with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The heat transfer from the wavy surfaces, compared to a plane plate of equal projected area, increased with increasing amplitude-to-wavelength ratio. The heat transfer was increased by about 15 percent at an amplitude-to-wavelength ratio of 0.3; for this case a flow instability was detected. A quantitative comparison with a previously published numerical investigation is also presented. In general, there is agreement between the two studies.