Effect of confined and heated ambient air on onset of instability in liquid bridges of high pr fluids

The present work reports about an experimental study investigating the influence of air convection and of ambient temperature around a half-floating zone on the transition behavior from steady to oscillatory flow, i.e. the influence on the critical Marangoni number (Macr). Increase of heat loss from the free surface of the half-floating zone or liquid bridge by increased convection and ambient cooling decreases Macr. Heat input to the free surface increases Macr. An add-on numerical simulation of the air convection around the zone clarifies the influence of air convection and the ambient temperature on the temperature, surface velocity and local Biot number at the free liquid surface. Copyright © 2010 Tech Science Press.