Experimental investigations in an air-filled differentially-heated cavity at large Rayleigh Numbers

A large-scale experimental differentially heated cavity was built and instrumented. Rayleigh numbers up to 1.2×1011 can be obtained with a temperature difference, ΔT = 20°C, between the hot and cold walls leaning in the range of validity of the Boussinesq approximation. Previous data obtained locally for mean velocity by 2D LDV in the range give rise to questions regarding the general air flow circulation in the cavity. Particularly, a downstream flow along the vertical boundary layer was observed. This reverse flow caused by the temperature stratification outside this layer is not present in the upstream parts and was not previously observed in smaller cavities. The question of the global circulation in this cavity is thus posed. Evolution laws providing Nusselt numbers are also given and when possible compared to the literature for a large range of Rayleigh numbers.