Buoyancy driven flow of two stratified liquids numerical vs. experimental results

A study on a 2-D transient natural convection flow of two stratified liquids in a cavity is presented. The motion was analyzed numerically and compared with previous experimental results. The numerical initial concentration profile, across the two layers, was fed with real values measured in the experimental array. During the measurements of the concentration profile, special attention was given to the points across the diffuse interface. Such strategy brought immediate agreement between experiments and numerics allowing undertaking with great detail the analysis of certain fluctuations of the flow. Certain time and length scales were estimated in our experiments as well as in our numerics. These values were compared. whenever possible, against the theoretical time and length scales reported in the literature.