Measurement of the wave characteristics of a film under the effect of external perturbations

Abstract

The effect of artificial perturbations on structure formation in the water film flow over a vertical plate with a heater was studied experimentally. To measure the film thickness an eight-channel capacitance probe was used. It is shown that artificial perturbations on the liquid film surface can change the distance between rivulets from the values corresponding to the thermocapillary-wave regime of rivulet formation to the values related to the thermocapillary regime. The distance between the rivulets can be changed at Reynolds numbers higher than those corresponding to the thermocapillary regime. Artificial perturbations do not change significantly the relative amplitude of large waves, but they affect the character of amplitude dependence on the heat flux density.Key words: heat transfer intensification, wave characteristics, artificial perturbations on the film surface, thermocapillary-wave regime of rivulet formation, changes in relative amplitudes of large waves.