Abstract
In this study unsteady and chaotic characteristics of thermal convection fields between concentric annuli were experimentally examined, and they were compared with those reported in a vertical slot. The inner cylinder was heated by an embedded heater and the outer one was cooled by temperature‐controlled cold water, and 84 wt% glycerol‐water solution was used for the present test liquid. The main results are as follows: (1) The region where the characteristic frequency of temperature fluctuation is detected is located in the upper portion of the region where the secondary cells exist. (2) The time scale of the temperature change at which the autocorrelation coefficient becomes 1/e is relatively small in the secondary‐cell region, and this corresponds to the result of the natural convection field in a vertical slot. (3) The significant chaotic characteristics of temperature fluctuation are observed in almost the same region where the characteristic frequency of temperature fluctuation is detected, and this also corresponds to the results on the vertical slot. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 31(6): 486–497, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.10048