Experiments on the flow stability in a double-lid-driven cavity

The stability of the two‐dimensional, steady, incompressible flow in a rectangular square cavity is investigated experimentally for the parallel motion of two facing walls. The critical Reynolds numbers for the onset of three‐dimensional steady flow, its structure, and the bifurcation diagram of the velocity field, measured by LDV, agree with numerical predictions. It is observed that the wavelength of the selected pattern increases with the Reynolds number. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)