Effects of gas properties and inclination angle on exchange flow through a rectangular channel

This study deals with the exchange flow of two different gases (He-air, Ar-air, and SF6-air) through a rectangular channel that has a 5-mm width, a 50-mm height, and a 200-mm length. The net exchange flow rate is measured by an electronic mass balance, and velocity distribution is measured by a laser-Doppler anemometer. Flow patterns of the exchange flow are made visual with a tracer method using smoke. The effects of gas densities, molecular diffusion coefficients, inclination angles (θ) of the channel, on the flow patterns and the net exchange flow rates, are discussed. Based on the experimental results, the net exchange flow data are correlated by the equation derived by dimensional analysis: Q*=2.87 x 10-7 Gr2.17Sc0.41θ-1.09. (author)