Effect of Electric Field on Marangoni Convection under Microgravity

Abstract

We carried out a space experiment to investigate the interaction between EHD and Maran­goni convections occurring under microgravity, using a TR-IA-3 rocket launched by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). EHD convection was induced by impressing an electric field in a liquid column and the flow was reduced or enhanced depend­ing on the direction of both the temperature gradient and the electric field. We also carried out theoretical and numerical analyses. EHD equations were introduced and solved by the finite difference method . The numerical calculation agreed with the experimental result.