Measurements and Predictions of Turbulent Natural Convection Adjacent to Backward-Facing Step

Measurements and predictions of turbulent natural convection adjacent to a two-dimensional, vertical backward-facing step in airflow are reported. The upstream and downstream walls of the backward-facing step geometry were maintained at a constant and uniform temperature, while the backward-facing step was kept adiabatic. The experiment was carried out for a backward-facing step height of 22 mm and a temperature difference, between the heated walls and the mainstream, of 30 C. Measurements and predictions of the mean velocities and temperature distributions, along with the distributions of turbulent intensities, turbulent heat fluxes, and Reynolds stress components, are presented at various axial locations downstream of the backward-facing step. A reasonable agreement appears to exist between the measured and the predicted mean quantities, but discrepancies still exist between the measured and the predicted turbulence quantities