On the instability of natural convection flow on inclined plates

Experiments are carried out to establish the relationship between the nature of the flow instability and the inclination angle of the plate. The angular dependence of the Rayleigh number characterizing the onset of instability is also determined. An electrochemical flow visualization technique is utilized to expose the patterns of fluid motion. It is found that for inclination angles of less than 14° (relative to the vertical), waves are the mode of instability. On the other hand, for inclination angles in excess of 17°, the instability is characterized by longitudinal vortices. The range between 14° and 17° is a zone of continuous transition, with the two modes of instability co-existing.