Bdnard-Marangoni convections of two-layer fluids heated from the bottom are investigated experimentally with a particle imagine velocimetry. The flows are visualized from the side, and various velocity fields near the onset of convection, such as three-layer vortex convective patterns, are observed when the depth ratio varies in a wide range. A new classification of the convective patterns is proposed with more detail than in previous studies. The analysis of the results indicates that the interface tension greatly influences the motion intensities of the bottom and top layers. The dimensionless wave number increases with the Bond number when the motion in the top layer is not more intense than that in the bottom layer, which agrees with the theoretical prediction.
Microgravity fluid physics is an important part of microgravity sciences, which consists of simple fluids of many new systems, gas-liquid two-phase flow and heat transfer, and complex fluid mechanics. In addition to the importance of itself in sciences and applications, microgravity fluid physics closely relates to microgravity combustion, space biotechnology and space materials science, and promotes the developments of interdisciplinary fields. Many space microgravity experiments have been performed on board the recoverable satellites and space ships of China and pushed the rapid development of microgravity sciences in China. In the present paper, space experimental studies and the main results of the microgravity fluid science in China in the last 10 years or so are introduced briefly.
HU WenRuiLONG MianKANG QiXIE JingChangHOU MeiYingZHAO JianFuDUAN LiWANG ShuangFeng
