COMBINED BUOYANCY- AND THERMOCAPILLARY-DRIVEN CONVECTION IN OPEN SQUARE CAVITIES

Abstract
The characteristics of convective flow in a square cavity driven by simultaneous buoyancy and thermocapillary effects have been studied numerically. Results for two sets of thermal boundary conditions suggest that surface tension effects can significantly alter buoyancy-induced flow. The resulting alteration in the flow field can enhance or reduce heat transfer rates across the cavity.