Buoyancy effects on turbulent heat transfer behind a backward-facing step in liquid metal flow

Abstract

Heat transfer is one the most important technical applications in fluid mechanics. Heat transfer behind sudden changes of the cross section such as a backward-facing step flow is particularly important in many devices such as the in- and outflow of thermal storage containers, collectors of power conversion systems, as well as highly heat loaded surfaces like those in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, to name but a few examples.