Observation and simulation of the double layer structure of the thermal boundary layer in a side-heated cavity

Abstract

The double layer structure of the thermal boundary layer in a side-heated cavity is investigated numerically and experimentally. Through comparing the flow visualizations with the numerical results, the mechanisms of the transition of the thermal boundary layer are discussed. The numerical results demonstrate that an upward thermal tongue leads to the double layer structure of the thermal boundary layer in the quasi-steady stage, which is observed in shadowgraph images.