Experimental investigation of turbulence and turbulent thermal diffusion in strongly inhomogeneous and anisotropic forced convection

Abstract: We investigate properties of turbulence and turbulent transport of non-inertial particles described in terms of turbulent thermal diffusion in strongly inhomogeneous and anisotropic convection forced by two turbulence generators with oscillating membrane and a steady grid in the air flow (with the Rayleigh number about $10^8$). Velocity field and spatial distribution of particles are measured using Particle Image Velocimetry system. The temperature distribution is measured in many locations using a temperature probe equipped with 12 E - thermocouples. In the forced convection, inhomogeneities of the mean temperature field and the particle number density in the horizontal direction in the core flow is much stronger than in the vertical direction. The mean fluid velocity structure show transition between a single-roll pattern for isothermal turbulence to double-roll patterns with increase of the temperature difference between the bottom and upper walls of the chamber. For larger temperature differences, the mean fluid velocity structure returns to a single-roll pattern. The maximum of the mean particle number density is located in the regions with minimum of the mean temperature and vise versa in agreement with the predictions based on the phenomenon of turbulent thermal diffusion.