EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF NATURAL-CONVECTION HEAT-TRANSFER IN CONCENTRIC AND ECCENTRIC HORIZONTAL CYLINDRICAL ANNULI

An experimental study has been conducted to determine the influence of eccentricity and Rayleigh number on natural convection heat transfer through a fluid bounded by two horizontal isothermal cylinders. Eccentricity of the inner cylinder substantially alters the local heat transfer on both cylinders, but the overall heat transfer coefficients change by less than 10 percent over the range of eccentricities investigated. Heat transfer results using the concentric geometry are given for Rayleigh numbers from 2.2 × 102 to 7.7 × 107 which includes regions of conduction, laminar convection, and partially turbulent convection. © 1978 by ASME.