The stability of the Rayleigh–Bénard–Poiseuille flow in a channel with large transverse aspect ratio (ratio of width to vertical channel height) is studied experimentally. The onset of thermal convection in the form of ‘transverse rolls’ (rolls with axes perpendicular to the Poiseuille flow direction) is determined in the Reynolds–Rayleigh number plane for two different working fluids: water and mineral oil with Prandtl numbers of approximately 6.5 and 450, respectively. By analysing experimental realizations of the system impulse response it is demonstrated that the observed onset of transverse rolls corresponds to their transition from convective to absolute instability. Finally, the system response to localized patches of supercriticality (in practice local ‘hot spots’) is observed and compared with analytical and numerical results of Martinand, Carrière & Monkewitz (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 502, 2004, p. 175 and vol. 551, 2006, p. 275). The experimentally observed two-dimensional saturated global modes associated with these patches appear to be of the ‘steep’ variety, analogous to the one-dimensional steep nonlinear modes of Pier, Huerre & Chomaz (Physica D, vol. 148, 2001, p. 49).

No abstract

No abstract

Systematic investigations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide concentrations in the air of various cotton spinning mills have shown that within the buildings none of these are present in ahnormal concentrations. The cracks occasionally noticed on top roller cots and aprons made of material containing rubber or of synthetic material cannot, therefore, be attributed to increased ozone concentrations.