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Experimental study of thermocapillary convection on a liquid bridge consisting of fluid with low Prandtl number in a floating half-zone

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Abstract

A device of mercury liquid bridge of floating half-zone is designed to experimentally explore thermocapillary convection and its instability of a low Prandtl number liquid. Noncontacted diagnostic techniques were developed to monitor surface flow and surface deformation. The surface flow and the influence of a growing surface film (or skin) on the flow were observed. It is shown that the film is a key factor in changing the behavior associated with the thermocapillary convection. The experiment indicates that the critical Marangoni number should be much higher than that expected by the numerical simulation. The condition and process of surface film growth are discussed. The surface oscillation of the mercury bridge wrapped with “dirt-film” was observed, and the characteristics and the frequency associated with this oscillation are given.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Establishment of Space Science and Applications, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080, Beijing, China

    Sun Zhiwei

  2. Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080, Beijing, China

    Han Jinhu

  3. Department of Chemistry, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China

    Dai Lerong

  4. Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100080, Beijing, China

    Xie Jingchang & Hu Wenrui

Authors
  1. Sun Zhiwei
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  2. Han Jinhu
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  3. Dai Lerong
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  4. Xie Jingchang
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  5. Hu Wenrui
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Sun, Z., Han, J., Dai, L. et al. Experimental study of thermocapillary convection on a liquid bridge consisting of fluid with low Prandtl number in a floating half-zone. Sci. China Ser. E-Technol. Sci. 40, 97–104 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02916595

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02916595

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