1981 Volume 2 Issue 3 Pages 107-119
An experimental study is made of the steady-state natural convection induced by a heat source of finite width (30 cm long × 15cm wide) located at the center of bottom surface of a model reservoir (140cm long × 15cm high). The top surface is permeable and all other surfaces impermeable. The four side surfaces and the bottom surface are thermally insulated except the heat source. Correlating equations of the Rayleigh number versus the total discharge and the mean heat flux transported by water through the top surface are deduced by means of a dimensional analysis. The patterns of convective current are estimated from the temperature within the porous medium and the distribution of discharges at each portion of the top surface.