Experimental investigation of boundary layer flow in a smooth rotating channel with walls heated

Boundary layer flow in a smooth rotating channel with its walls heated is measured by the particle image velocimetry. Air, the working medium, flows in the rotating channels, whose four walls are heated by the ITO glass. The flow was measured at the position of 3.5<X/D<6.5 and 0<Y/D<1 in the middle plane of rotating channel (Z/D=0.5) with Reynolds number equaling 10000 and rotation numbers ranging from 0 to 0.52. Results are presented of the evolution of the boundary layer thickness with and without heated thermal boundary conditions. By the comparison between two cases, the heated walls generated a temperature gradient to induce buoyancy force in the rotating channel. Meanwhile, separated flow happens and influences the turbulent flow behaviors greatly. Especially, the displacement thickness and the momentum loss thickness presents regular changes at different radius position owing to the heated thermal boundary conditions.