The Effect of Plate Oscillations on Horizontal Free Convection Flow

Abstract

The free convection flow along a semi-infinite horizontal plate oscillating in its own plane is analysed The basic flow is purely buoyancy induced, while the oscillations in the plate cause a time-dependent boundary layer flow and heat transfer. The boundary layer equations are linearized and the first two approximations are considered. Two separate solutions valid for high and low frequency ranges are obtained by a series expansion in terms of frequency parameters. The skin friction and the rate of heat transfer are studied for both frequency ranges. For very high frequencies, the oscillatory flow pattern is of a 'shear-wave' type, unaffected by the mean flow. It is found that the phase of the skin friction at the plate lags that of the plate oscillations by in and the rate of heat transfer has a phase lag of 1/2n.